Paraic Brady (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to be here today. I, too, would like to address some of the issues regarding the Sligo to Dublin rail line. As the Minister of State knows, we have two train stops in the county of Longford, one in Longford town and one in Edgeworthstown. The one in Edgeworthstown catered for the whole of the Cavan-north Longford region where we have seen a huge influx of people. Where this can have a huge effect is that house prices in Longford are approximately €320,000-odd. We have students renting accommodation in Dublin for extraordinary rents. It took roughly two hours and 15 minutes the last time I travelled from Longford to Dublin. I am asking that we would have, not a high-speed rail - I am not asking for the bullet train they have in China - but at least a train that travels at normal speed. Everyone knows the train itself is safe and there is no fuel burden. A person can get on and relax and do a day’s work on the train. They can sleep or do whatever they want to do. They can talk to somebody. It is a great spot to meet new people, even students. What it provides is a link for older people who do not like driving.

As the Minister of State knows, when one leaves Longford, we have a single carriageway the whole way from Longford to Mullingar that then comes on to a dual carriageway. As a county in the centre of Ireland, on both sides of Longford there is a motorway and dual carriageway, even down into the west. We feel we have been left behind, certainly when the road infrastructure has come in, so we certainly do not want to be left behind if a high-speed train comes in. I urge that we at least look at making that train high speed and put some investment into it.

A small issue has cropped up a number of times, which is that some of the machines on the platforms regularly are not working. When a person gets on the train, they cannot purchase a ticket on the train without paying a fine. That is something we need to address. Further, I know it is not the Minister of State’s remit, that it is private, but I hope the coffee cart on the Sligo train will be reinstalled sooner rather than later.