Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. I agree with everything he said with regard to the modal shift. Trying to move people out of private cars and onto public transport is a critically important policy from a climate perspective but also from a development and balanced regional development perspective.

As the Senator may be aware, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport, including rail. However, the operation, maintenance and renewal of the track network and stations on the network, including the former station at Dunleer, is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance.

The Senator may also be aware that Programme for Government: Our Shared Future commits toward a fundamental change in the nature of transport in Ireland. The Minister for Transport believes that rail has a critical and crucial role to play in achieving change. It is vital that we address the constraints in the rail sector and deliver a network that allows rail to fulfill its potential in pursuit of decarbonisation priorities, rural connectivity objectives and as a generator of prosperity for people across Ireland.

To this end, the Department of Transport co-commissioned an all-island strategic rail review, to which the Senator referred, with the Northern Irish Department for Infrastructure. The review will establish the strategic context for investment in rail across the island in the coming decades. Work on the review is at an advanced stage and a key consideration of the analysis is how the rail network can support regional and rural connectivity, encompassing service stopping patterns and the provision of stations.

In addition to the strategic rail review, the eastern and midland regional spatial and economic strategy supports the continued development of the Dublin-Belfast economic corridor through targeted investment in transport infrastructure and services, recognising its importance as a link to the core European Union trans-European transport network, TEN-T. The complementarity between EU-level investment priorities and local services would need to be considered, however, as would the potential integration with any relevant local development plans. The reopening of Dunleer station is not currently included in the Louth county development plan.

The delivery of any new rail infrastructure involves a multi-agency approach in the planning, design, funding and construction of a scheme. To protect the taxpayer, there are also guidelines and requirements in place surrounding the release of funds for capital infrastructure projects that must be adhered to by all agencies wishing to draw down public funds. These are set out under the public spending code drawn up by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Before Iarnród Éireann can receive public funding to proceed with any rail infrastructure scheme, the following conditions must be met: the proposal must be fully aligned with transport and planning policy; it must have a robust business case in line with the public spending code, as well as the transport-sector-specific common appraisal guidance; and a full demand assessment using the National Transport Authority’s regional modelling system is required as an input to the business case. The Minister for Transport is not aware of any current plans to reopen the station at Dunleer or to progress a business case. As noted, however, potential services and infrastructure along the existing and potential new rail lines are being considered as part of the strategic rail review.

The Minister has been assured by Iarnród Éireann that it will engage with any parties proposing station reopening projects such as Dunleer. Iarnród Éireann will ensure that no action is undertaken which would preclude any future reopening of the station. I hope that gives the Senator some assurance. A number of measures need to be addressed before a project like this can, excuse the pun, be brought back on track. It is important that it is reflected in the development plans as well and as I stated, that there is an aspiration and business case for such a project.