Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would like to request from the Leader a debate on, and an exploration from the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, of, a second railway station for Drogheda, County Louth. Drogheda is Ireland's largest town and is currently being serviced by one train station on the south side of the town which is under severe pressure as it stands. There is not enough parking to service the commuters. If you are not there by 6.45 a.m., there is not a hope of any parking.

The idea of a north-side train station was in a local area plan originally and then was dropped from the local area plan. I would like to see it put back in and see the possibility. Almost 7,500 new houses are being built on the north side of the town. I would like to see a new north-side railway station on the site of the third part of the northern access route, the port access northern cross route or, as it is more commonly known, the PANCR road. It would be ideally located there. The second phase is just beginning. It is almost shovel ready. The third stage would then be the ideal point to put in a tunnel to be able to access a train station.

What is happening at the moment is that all the commuter traffic is going through the town and blocking the town, because there is a toll leading in and out of Drogheda and people are obviously using the town centre to avoid that toll. It makes absolute common sense to put a northern rail station there which could act as an entire transport hub for that part of the county. I could envisage traffic coming from Slane, Castlebellingham, Dunleer and from all that part of the county to park and ride there and get the train across to the other side, making sure the commuters leaving Drogheda are there at the best possible time. We are told it is coming down the track - pardon the pun - that we will be in the fairer fares scheme. That has been long delayed. It is about time Drogheda was seen as a proper commuter hub for the north east.