asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he is yet in a position to indicate when a commuter rail service will be available to the people of north-west Dublin.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Commuter Rail Service.
13.
The provision of rail commuter services to serve the north-west Dublin area is dependent on the rate of development of the Blanchardstown area.
As I indicated in my reply to a similar question by the Deputy on 7th June, 1973, the Foras Forbartha Report on Transportation in Dublin recommended, inter alia, that suburban rail passenger services should be opened as far as Blanchardstown and Clondalkin, but did not envisage this development in the case of Blanchardstown until the 1980s.
CIE are maintaining close consultation with Dublin Corporation to ensure that proposals for public transport for the Dublin north-west area can be effectively integrated with the corporation's overall plan for the area.
Would the Minister accept that in view of the fact that there are idle railroads—and I take it carriages—available and that the stations are there already, they might experiment with the service, say, out as far as Ashtown?
I think An Foras Forbartha went into all these things when they were making their report to the Ministers for Local Government and Transport and Power. At that stage they envisaged that the Blanchardstown line would not be open until the mid-eighties. Between this and then something might happen that would bring that forward somewhat but, at the moment, that is still their view.
Would the Minister accept that it is strange to be talking about not opening a line when the line is already there?
I am sorry, I should not have used the words "not open". What I really mean is "put this service into commission".
The Minister would accept that there are more potential commuters in that area than anywhere else around the city? It is one area starved of this service.
Indeed, I do. I will ask CIE to look at it again but that is the present advice I have.