Rail Infrastructure for the Regions

Just as all roads lead to Dublin, all rail tracks lead to Dublin as well. We have come to have a rail system that is hub-and-spoke and what we need is the outside of the wheel. In that context, the mothballed connection between Rosslare and Waterford city and then from Waterford city on to Limerick Junction can be highly important strategic infrastructure. We know how this State sometimes struggles to bring large capital projects in on budget and on time. Were we to start today and to try to build infrastructure like that from scratch, it would be into the billions to build that line. Whether it is to upgrade to improve the line speed and return to use that connection between Ireland’s fifth city and Ireland’s third city and indeed improved connectivity to Cork and Galway which we would get from that route, it would be significant value for money in my opinion.

As Deputy Ó Cathasaigh said, the review will provide a catalyst for focus on growth for rail outside Dublin, getting more balanced regional development and allowing for a greater spread of population growth in population centres in the west, south and south east.