Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is an ambitious Government which is not frightened of spending on infrastructure and is absolutely determined to do so. That said, we will not do anything irresponsible. Projects of this nature which have an intrinsic merit should be raised and taken seriously. Nothing is impossible.

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport. The operation of the rail network is a matter for Iarnród Éireann. As the Senator indicated, in 2007 a feasibility study was carried out on behalf of Iarnród Éireann with input from a steering group representative of local interests on a rail link to Shannon Airport and it concluded that the economic case for the rail link was poor. The feasibility study indicated the cost of a Shannon rail link would range from €246 million to €440 million at 2006 prices, excluding enhanced onward links to Galway which were also assessed.

A Shannon rail link is not identified as a priority in the Government's capital investment plan, Building on Recovery 2016-2021. As Senator O'Donnell is aware, to say the least, Iarnród Éireann remains in a challenging position financially and has limited resources of its own available to fund new projects. That said, the role of heavy rail in Ireland's transport sector is currently under review. The National Transport Authority, NTA, held a public consultation process to start a national debate on the current and future role of rail transport in Ireland. The public consultation process was launched with the publication of a rail review report in 2016. That report is a comprehensive analysis of issues facing the rail network, including the level of funding required to support its maintenance and development. It highlights the considerable amount of taxpayer support currently provided to support the rail network and provides an overview of the estimated required amount of additional funding needed to support the network going forward. The report did not make any recommendations as regards the size of the rail network but does outline issues for consideration.

A consultation document, The Role of Rail in Ireland and Funding its Delivery, was also published. The consultation process elicited more than 300 submissions which have now been examined and the NTA submitted a report on those submissions recently. I will be considering the report and bringing it to Government. No decisions have been taken regarding matters such as the future of individual rail lines or investment in the company and relevant infrastructure.

As noted within the rail review report, its analysis predates the finalisation of the national planning framework, NPF, being developed at present under the leadership of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. Clearly, the role and potential of rail is intrinsically linked to where people live, work and wish to travel and those issues form the core of the framework. Once agreed by Government, the approach which that framework adopts toward land-use planning and settlement patterns for the country will have significant impacts on the potential of rail and other transport infrastructure and services into the future and will form an important context for consideration of issues raised by the rail review report and for any recommendations brought to Government. As the House will be aware, any future investment in the rail network is also dependent on availability of funding. The Government's recently announced budget 2018 provides for an increase in the multi-annual capital investment for public transport with a four-year capital envelope of €2.7 billion over the period 2018 to 2021, including investment of more than €400 million next year.This represents a 30% increase over the original capital plan allocations for 2018 to 2021 and includes increased funding for the heavy rail network. As I have outlined, my Department’s first priority under the capital plan is to ensure the maintenance of our existing transport infrastructure at steady state levels in order that it remains safe and fit for purpose.

Total funding of €860 million from 2018 to 2021 is being provided for the heavy rail maintenance programme. This programme protects investment already made in our national railway system by funding projects needed to maintain safety and service levels in railway operations. Work has begun on a ten-year capital envelope, and this will provide further clarity on the investment available for heavy rail projects in the future.