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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 Feb 1991

Vol. 405 No. 1

Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Rail.

Tomás MacGiolla

Question:

13 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if he has been advised by Irish Rail of plans to lay off employees and reduce services, especially in the freight area; if he will outline the information available to him on the Irish Rail plans; if he intends to approve the plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I have been informed by the Chairman of CIE that Iarnród Éireann are in the process of reorganising their Transtrack groupage business, but that following this reorganisation a comparable freight service will continue to be provided using a combination of rail-road operations on a more efficient and costeffective basis. Freight services will be terminated at some smaller depots where freight volumes are particularly low at present.

The question of reducing staff numbers associated with this reorganisation is a matter for Iarnród Éireann and is part of the company's ongoing attempts to achieve improved competitiveness and financial performance of the rail freight business. I understand that discussions with the relevant trade unions concerning the new arrangements are under way at present.

Yet again we hear figures of job losses, in this case in the region of 250 in Iarnród Éireann. Would the Minister not agree that this is the wrong time to change the transport of freight from rail to roads? For environmental reasons, among others, it is better that railways remain the major servicing agent for the movement of freight in the country.

Obviously, I want to see more use of the railways. I understand that in this case compulsory redundancies are not being sought by Irish Rail and in that regard we can safely leave the matter to the unions involved and the management.

Will the Minister confirm that the level of job losses is to be 250, and will he give an assurance to the House that they will be voluntary?

With respect to the Deputy, I thought I just said that. Compulsory redundncies are not being sought by Irish Rail. They will be voluntary, and therefore it is a matter between the unions and the management.

Deputy Noonan (Limerick East) is offering, as well as Deputy Carey and Deputy Farrelly. Will the Deputies please be brief?

(Limerick East): Will the Minister agree that while he has referred to proposals being discussed between CIE and the unions about cutbacks on the freight side, proposals are also being discussed on the passenger side? Will he also agree that, for example, a proposal is currently being discussed to cut off the link from Limerick to Rosslare so that there will be no direct service between those two stations or any intermediate station, if this proposal is agreed? Indeed, there are proposals to close down passenger traffic on a whole series of routes to which the public have become accustomed.

The Deputy is raising a separate matter worthy of a distinct question.

There is no large scale plan for a substantial closedown of passenger services. I cannot comment on the Limerick-Rosslare route. I would need to look that up.

The Minister's reply is unsatisfactory. The question put by Deputy Mac Giolla asked if the Minister agreed with Irish Rail's plans. The Minister said the proposal is to close 22 stations. Again, this is an attack on rural Ireland. Is the Minister not concerned about the social impact of that?

It is not an attack on rural Ireland. It is a matter that is the subject of discussion between a company with their own board and chief executive and a trade union. They are discussing how best to improve the finances and operation of the company, and I wish them well in that.

Would the Minister reenter those discussions with a view to increasing the freight service that is provided by the railways and to taking more of the heavy traffic off our roads? It is quite evident that no finances are being made available by the Government to repair those roads. More jobs should be provided and more services made available in this area to take the heavy freight traffic off our roads.

As I have said, I am anxious that there should be as much use of the railways as possible. I need not tell the Deputies opposite the financial profile of Iarnród Éireann. They have very committed staff who for many years have done their best, but the reality is that it is costing the taxpayer up to £2 million a week in direct taxation subsidy to keep the railways going. I know Deputy Byrne is going to tell me that that is happening all over the world——

No, I am not going to tell the Minister that.

——and to an extent that is so, but it does not reduce our bill. I know that the management and staff of the company are anxious to make the best effort they can to ensure that that subsidy is reduced.

Has the Minister a policy on that?

I have just given it.

Close all the rural stations. The Minister is doing well.

Please, Deputy Carey. The Deputy has just intervened with a question. He ought to restrain himself. I am calling Deputy Byrne and then Deputy Durkan. Please be brief, Deputies. I want to move on to another question.

Will the Minister tell the House what he intends to do, given the financial restraints on Iarnród Éireann and on CIE as a group, to guarantee that the £4 million that is outstanding from the Department of Education for the school bus service will be paid to CIE as a matter of urgency? That is one of the reasons for the shortfall in their total funding.

We are having an injection on extraneous matter.

The £4 million would go a long way——

I am calling Deputy Durkan.

The Minister would need an injection.

The school bus service is a different subject from railways.

Please, I have called Deputy Durkan.

In view of the fact that previous decisions of the national rail-road company relating to the railway system were later regretted, would the Minister accept it is now essential that that company should have negotiations and consultations with other railroad companies throughout Europe, the United States and Japan, with a view to the adaptation of the system to compete adequately with the road transport system?

Those talks are continually going on under the auspices of the EC Council of Transport Ministers and various international transport organisations. Those kinds of talks and exploratory meetings go on all the time.

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