Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for joining us for such an important discussion on the all-island rail review. I acknowledge and compliment that 7,000 submissions made, the truly inclusive nature of the review and, in particular, the work of different advocacy groups, including West on Track. While I do that, I acknowledge the late John Bradley, who was dedicated in his advocacy as a former economist with the ESRI and an advocate for West on Track and the western rail corridor in particular. He passed away recently while, sadly, on a rail journey, I believe, between Dublin and Mayo. I thank John and pay tribute to the dedication and advocacy he persisted with and maintained through his constant reports. When Ernst & Young created a report that belittled the western rail corridor, he counteracted it and kept the argument and fight on the table. I acknowledge and pay tribute to him and offer my sympathies to his wife, Mary. I thank him and the West on Track team that has advocated for the western rail corridor.

As has been mentioned, the increase in passenger numbers over the past number years, especially since Covid-19, have been significant. In Mayo, I have advocated for the addition of the early morning rail service connecting commuters with a 5.05 a.m. train into Heuston Station in Dublin at 8.30 a.m. We have also seen the addition of later evening services arriving into Mayo between 10.30 p.m. and 11 p.m. What is being noticed anecdotally is that all of these routes are now at capacity. We need to improve the capacity, speed times, service and experience on each rail journey, whether that is ensuring there is good security but also catering services, which is something that has been widely discussed.

I want to focus on the western rail corridor, in particular. I know the Minister of State believes in and is passionate about the opportunity that exists for the north west. If the all-island rail review is realised, 700,000 more people will live within 5 km of a railway station. That is an incredible statistic and something that is very achievable considering the fact that the western rail corridor in particular remains in public ownership. It can connect Ballina, Westport, Castlebar, Claremorris, Tuam and Athenry, all the way down the western seaboard to Limerick, Cork, Foynes and Waterford. The first phase between Athenry and Claremorris is a total open goal and such a great opportunity to revitalise and give a vote of confidence for transport infrastructure in the north west.

I acknowledge the Northern and Western Regional Assembly which has done a lot research in terms of the disparities in transport infrastructure investment. Senator Mullen acknowledged that the north-west region ranks 218th out of 234 European regions in terms of the quality of its transport infrastructure.For people who commute to appointments, whether from Galway to Mayo or vice versa, but also students given that the costs of living, housing and student accommodation are so high, improved connectivity between towns can make a difference. It can mean that young people who have grown up in towns such as Tuam, Ballina, Westport and Castlebar can at least hypothetically continue to live in them while studying in Galway or Sligo. That has a huge and positive social impact on everyone.

It is fair to say the Minister of State has the full support of the House on the western rail corridor. He has every bit of support I can lend to help him to realise it. Whatever can be done to ensure it is a priority should be done. Can the Minister of State provide an update on when we may have further progress on the realisation of the first phase of the western rail corridor? This is only phase 1 of a two-part trick. The northern route to Sligo is a no-brainer for all the reasons outlined in respect of connecting the whole north west. The line remains in public ownership. A shuttle bus connecting the nearest station to Ireland West Airport Knock could have a transformative impact on the whole north-western region. We cannot forget about phase 2 but we do need to see action, ground-breaking and progress on phase 1. We need to have metrics for success. There is a danger of underselling the potential of the Sligo line because of low passenger numbers. We need to see what success looks like for phase 1 so we can justify phase 2.

I thank the Minister of State for all his work on this. He has been steadfast in his support for the western rail corridor and indeed rail investment. I look forward to hearing his contributions and to supporting him in realising this significant project for the north west.