Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, I thank Senator Chambers for the opportunity to address this issue in the House today. While I am not all over the detail of it, I have a prepared answer from the Minister who, as the Senator quite rightly said, is currently in Cabinet. I am aware the Senator has raised this issue on many occasions. As a colleague of hers for many years, I know she has continued to raise this issue and I am hoping there is something in the reply that might satisfy her.

As the Senator is aware, two reports were published in relation to the proposed reopening of the western rail corridor phases two and three and the Minister for Transport brought the conclusions of both these reports to Government in December 2020. The first is known as the EY report which was commissioned by Iarnród Éireann in line with the decision of the previous Government. This report consisted of a financial and economic appraisal of the potential reopening of the western rail corridor in phases two and three. There was criticism of some aspects of that report, particularly by those who advocated for a reopening of the corridor. However, as it has been said, two reports were published and the second is known as the Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions, JASPERS, review. JASPERS is an agency established by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank to assist member states in making investments in European regions such as the west of Ireland. In October 2020, the JASPERS review concluded that the findings of the EY report were not unreasonable. On the projected cost and demand, areas of the EY report, which were subject to some public criticism, were found by the JASPERS review to be within reasonable ranges although perhaps based on a design solution and operational plan which might be considered overly optimistic. However, in its four key observations of the JASPERS review, that in my mind should be particularly focused upon, the agency notes the proposed reopening of the western rail corridor did not address any identified social or transport constraint; did not sit within any broader strategic framework for the development of rail in Ireland; did not contribute towards our climate action objectives; and would not attract EU funding in its present form. As any of those observations would be important to a proposed investment of hundreds of millions of taxpayers' money, to have all four observed about a proposal is clearly a concern. Noting the conclusion in the JASPERS review, that there was a lack of strategic context for planning investment in the heavy rail network, the Minister for Transport, in partnership with the Minister for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, announced in 2021 his intention to undertake an all-Ireland strategic rail review. This review considers how the rail network on the island of Ireland can improve in order to promote sustainability, connectivity, enhanced regional accessibility between the major cities, and support balanced regional development. The review examines how the railways are used, how they could be used in future, and how the network can evolve to serve the people of the island of Ireland while achieving policy goals.I refer to rail networks and the trans-European transport network, TEN-T, map. The Department of Transport indicated to the European Commission that its position on TEN-T rail network would be informed by the results of the ongoing all-Ireland strategic rail review and that it was hoped the outcome of the review would be reflected in the map. The strategic rail review is being undertaken in co-operation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland and it will inform the development of the railway sector on the island of Ireland in the coming decades. The review will consider the potential scope for improved rail services along various existing or future corridors of the network. That scope includes the western rail corridor and connectivity with Northern Ireland. 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. The Minister for Transport is looking forward to the draft report of the review being made available shortly and it will be published once it receives appropriate ministerial approval on both sides of the Border.