Seanad debates

Thursday, 17 December 2020

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

12:30 pm

Photo of Seán KyneSeán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I had the privilege to serve in the Department of Rural and Community Development with the then Minister, Michael Ring, when the rural regeneration and development fund was put in place. At the same time, the then Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, put in place the urban regeneration and development fund to fund strategic projects. I am sure we all agree that this funding has been effective and been welcomed universally because it filled a gap and allowed many worthwhile projects to progress to development, many of which are multimillion euro projects.

Galway County Council and Irish Rail have applied to increase capacity at Oranmore station, east of Galway city. Like many towns, Oranmore has rapidly expanded and once had a railway station that was closed many decades ago. Thankfully, under phase 1 of the western rail corridor project, Oranmore got a new station. A testament to the increase in usage over the past decade is the urban regeneration and development fund application by Galway County Council in association with Irish Rail. It involves the creation of a passing loop at Oranmore, 1 km of track, a second platform and a pedestrian crossover between platforms. The project has been costed at approximately €12 million and has the support of the Department of Transport, which has indicated a willingness to part-fund the project. The lands required are in the control of Irish Rail. I hope the project will act as a forerunner for the double-tracking of the line between Athenry and Galway. This is a priority for the local authorities and would give a significant boost to the provision of an alternative transport mode to private cars. Double-tracking would also allow for a train station in the Renmore and Merlin Park area, which would create access to the east side of the city, including the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and the tens of thousands of residents who live in the area.

The station at Oranmore was officially opened by the then Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, and local councillor, Mr. Liam Carroll, the Mayor of County Galway at the time and a long-term supporter of the project then and now. I welcome the vision of Galway County Council and the fact that these funds are in place and allow an application, which will be adjudicated in due course. I hope the project, if successfully granted, will be the first phase of a larger double-tracking project, which will allow for commuter services to the city and possibly a train station in the Renmore area.

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