Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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This issue is of particular importance to our independent colleague, Shaun Cunniffe, in Galway County Council, who is part of a campaign to have a vote passed in the council to commission a feasibility study on the complementary use of the disused rail alignment between Athenry and Milltown as a greenway. The group is forthright in its belief that the provision of a greenway would not preclude the use of the alignment as a railway again in the future and if, in time to come, a railway is needed, the wide alignment could be used for both a greenway and a railway. To progress its case the group needs to establish that there are no current plans to redevelop the railway which has been closed to passenger traffic since 1977. The group has been in communication with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, who has confirmed that the rotten wooden sleepers and old railway tracks are all obsolete and would need to be replaced by concrete sleepers and continuous rail track if the railway was to be reinstated.

In 2015, the Department report, Investing in our Transport Future - A Strategic Framework for Investment in Land Transport, more or less ruled out the consideration of more rural railways such as the western rail corridor, and Iarnród Éireann's strategy explains why reinstating the western rail corridor is not under consideration. First, the dispersed population along the disused railway route is not remotely sufficient to fill trains. Second, there will be a new Tuam-Gort motorway running alongside the railway alignment. Third, well-established local bus operators are faster, cheaper, more frequent and can go to multiple destinations, unlike a train service.

The Minister and his Department are to be congratulated on their recent launch of a public consultation process on the development of a new greenway strategy, and I agree that some of the greenways that have been developed to date have been outstanding success stories for their localities. I also believe the proposed Athenry-Milltown greenway, utilising existing infrastructure, requiring minimal intrusion into private property and with the widespread support of the local community, is worthy of serious consideration, but before it can get on track, the issue of whether the line is going to be reopened or not has to be unequivocally resolved.

The greenway story has been a runaway success, with Mayo and Waterford particular success stories. Sligo and Galway have been trying for years to get greenways on disused railway lines and Waterford proves it can be done. I am a supporter of building the country's rail infrastructure and the more trains we have to move freight around the country, the better.If we used the rail infrastructure, there would be no need for 40 ft. trailers and big trucks to be on the roads. I see merit in Councillor Cunniffe's query and that is the reason I bring it to the Minister's attention. I look forward to hearing the Minister's reply and thank him for his time.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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It is nice to be here even if it is to take four Commencement matters in a row, which is probably a record for the Seanad. I hope my record will never be beaten.

I thank Senator Craughwell for bringing this matter to the House and giving me an opportunity to address same. I know that he is, as I am, a great believer in both the railways and greenways. He has been a champion of both but this problem sometimes leaves people in a quandary. If there is a conflict between railways and greenways, one feels it is a great pity because greenways have been a great success. He has been a great supporter of them but they do not always have to be done at the cost of a railway or otherwise. Obviously one can be in favour of both of them. They are very important parts of my Department and what I do. I fully support greenways and also railways, where they are appropriate.

The future of western rail corridor, including the Athenry-Claremorris line, has been the subject of much debate over the years. There are many differing views on it, including among people who live in the localities that the line runs through. Certainly there seems to be strong support among some people for reopening all or part of the line. There are also many who support the redevelopment of sections of the line as a greenway. My Department has received robust submissions from both groups. While I have no objection to the proposal by some groups to create a greenway along the disused railway line, it is ultimately a matter for the relevant local authority to progress and submit, if funding is required, a proposal for consideration to my Department.

I will briefly give a little background on what has happened to date in terms of the redevelopment of the western rail corridor. In 2006, there was a lot of capital funding available for infrastructure projects. The Government at the time approved funding of €106 million for phase 1 of the western rail corridor under the Transport 21 programme. This investment allowed for the reopening of the 36 mile stretch of railway line between Ennis and Athenry. The line was opened to the public in March 2010.

Originally it was envisaged that phase 2 of the project, the development of the line from Athenry to Tuam, would be completed in 2011. However, following the economic crisis, the proposal was shelved indefinitely in common with many other infrastructure projects at the time. Senators will be aware that the programme for Government includes a commitment to provide for an independent costing and review of a proposal to extend the western rail corridor by linking Athenry and Claremorris. It also commits that no measures will be taken to prevent the future reactivation of this corridor for rail use.

One of the actions contained in my Department's 2015 strategic investment framework for land transport was the development of a new rail policy to address the future role of rail in Ireland. The National Transport Authority subsequently launched a public consultation last November with the publication of the rail review report that examined the funding required to support the heavy rail network now and into the future, together with a consultation document. The analysis carried out in the rail review report predates the finalisation of the national planning framework that is being developed under the leadership of my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. Once agreed by Government, the approach that the framework adopts towards land use planning and settlement patterns for the country will have a significant impact on the role of rail and other important contexts for consideration of issues raised by the rail review report and any recommendations that I will bring to Government in this regard. No decisions on future changes to the rail network, including decisions on the western rail corridor, will be made until this process is completed.

Again, I thank Senator Craughwell for raising this matter. I know it is very important to many people who live in the area and public representatives who represent the area. I hope my comments have clarified things.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I thank the Minister for his very comprehensive reply.If he gets a chance at some stage he might visit the Tuam area with his colleague, Deputy Seán Canney, and perhaps meet some of the local interest groups and give them a similar reply to the one he has given to me here today. It is important that we keep the option to use that railway line open in the future. I thank the Minister.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I thank Senator Craughwell. I will do that shortly. I would be delighted to be taken around by Deputy Canney, who is a colleague of mine, and also if Senator Craughwell wants to come himself or if any of the local councillors want to come to meet me there when I will see for myself what the problem is.