Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the call made by my colleagues, Senators Paddy Burke and Mulherin. I, too, attended the presentation made by Irish Rail yesterday. I applaud its plans and what it is Irish Rail is striving to achieve by way of the provision of new electrified rolling stock and improvement in journey times. As the two Senators have raised, there are important issues regarding passenger comfort, ease of access and so on. Many smaller stations throughout the country will not be manned in future. The Irish Rail officials told me yesterday that they hope to provide personnel on trains on all lines to help passengers. Obviously the personnel will be expected to assist passengers getting on and off at these unmanned stations. I suggest that the initiative is worked out more properly. I support the call made by the Senators for a debate as it would be timely in regard to everything that Irish Rail is trying to do and hope to do.

I wish to raise another subject matter. It is very good that the British Prime Minister has at long last - and I suppose it was forced on her really - dropped her red lines and now there is hope of progress being made. It is good that there is going to be a cross-party approach. It is the only way they would make progress, seeing that the two parties in the UK had their own difficulties for so long. I hope that the meeting will bear fruit and that progress will be made in the near future.