Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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27. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will seek to have the Western Rail Corridor included in the TEN-T programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11992/22]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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94. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the all-Ireland strategic rail review will provide the basis for the inclusion of the north of Ireland within the TEN-T programme as is the case with other territories outside of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11993/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 94 together.

As the Deputy may be aware, the European Commission’s review of the 2013 Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Regulation commenced in 2019.  My Department participated fully in the review process. In August 2019, my predecessor, Minister Ross, made a submission to the European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, regarding the review.  A copy of that submission, and Commissioner Bulc’s reply, is available on my Department’s website at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/3c921e-submission-to-commissioner-bulc-for-a-revision-of-the-core-ten-t-net/.

Regarding the rail network, my Department informed the Commission that our position on the TEN-T rail network will be informed by the results of the ongoing all-island Strategic Rail Review and that we would hope to have the outcome of the Review reflected in the maps. The Strategic Rail Review is being undertaken in co-operation with the Department for Infrastructure Northern Ireland and will inform the development of the railway sector on the Island of Ireland over the coming decades.  The Review will consider the potential scope for improved rail services along the various existing, or future potential, corridors of the network.  That scope includes the Western Rail Corridor and connectivity with Northern Ireland.

For the Deputy’s information, the Commission completed its review of the TEN-T Regulation in May 2021 and the evaluation report is available at the following link:

eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021SC0117.

In December 2021, the EU Commission published its proposal for a revised TEN-T Regulation and negotiations on the text have now begun in Brussels. My Department is currently examining the proposal in depth to ensure that Irish concerns can be identified and addressed during the negotiation process.

The full text of the proposal is available here:

eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2021:812:FIN.