The motion is timely in view of what has happened in recent weeks on the railway system. The number of accidents and the risk to life and limb have been well documented in the past 24 hours. It is well known from my time in Government that I am a supporter of public transport. As a tourist destination, the need for an effective and efficient rail service is greater than ever. There are, however, serious problems.
One could discuss this issue from a local perspective or a national point of view. There are lines on which there is a particularly good service and others on which the service lags way behind what I would regard as acceptable as we approach the turn of the century. The service between Dublin and Cork is second to none. It is one we all envy. We would like to see the same standard applied on all lines. It is of the highest standard, for which management should be complimented. The same could be said about the service between Dublin and Belfast. We are not talking only about comfort, speed and efficiency but safety also. We should be able to guarantee reliability, efficiency and effectiveness as well as passenger safety. That is the most important criterion. Given our experiences in recent months this is highly questionable.
The Minister has commissioned an independent consultancy. I hope this is not a gesture that is too late because there are serious problems. We should be able to identify the weaknesses in the system to the extent that we can give the guarantees mentioned. Some years ago we secured £275 million in European funding but it is apparent that this will not be effective in relation to a certain number of lines, including the lines to Mullingar, Mayo, Sligo, Rosslare, Kilkenny, Waterford, Killarney and Tralee. It appears jointed track on timber sleepers is no longer acceptable and does not have a future.
There is another aspect to this debate. We have all heard about the increase in the volume of traffic and fatalities on our roads. It is important that we are in a position to offer a viable alternative, particularly to those who wish to travel from peripheral areas, Kerry, Wexford, Galway, Mayo and Sligo. Difficulties have been encountered at weekends in transporting students and sports fans. We do not have the capacity to offer a reliable service to all those who want to use public transport. It behoves all of us, as public representatives, to ensure funding is available to provide a service second to none which is able to carry the public at reasonable expense in a safe and reliable manner.
I have listened to what the spokespersons for Irish Rail have had to say in recent weeks. While our track record during the years has been satisfactory and one we could defend, there is substandard track and a risk to the travelling public. The Minister did not give the impression that she acknowledges there are serious problems and that she will argue at Cabinet to secure the necessary funding. It is known that millions of pounds are required for track, signalling and rolling stock on the lines mentioned. One gets the distinct impression that it is the Minister's view there is nothing she can do about it. She was always the first one into the Chamber to find the responsible Minister. She is now responsible for passenger safety. I am not being alarmist but realistic. I have been at pains to defend workers in Irish Rail.
The time has come to make decisions. The Minister should outline how she will find the funding required for investment in passenger and freight services. We all accept there are no absolute guarantees in life but the test is one of reasonableness. I would like to think that we can have renewed confidence in the service on offer and that a viable alternative will be offered to the travelling public who should not use their cars because they are afraid the train will not be on time owing to obstructions on the line, because they are afraid of derailments and because they are hearing about the quality of the service on offer. The Minister should indicate that in the next two to three years she can guarantee development of the service.
I am particularly worried about the line between Killarney and Tralee which has not been upgraded. I have been told that EU funding is not guaranteed. There have been some improvements on the line between Mallow and Killarney. As the premier tourist destination, the rail service is extremely important to the county. Funding is required to maintain a quality service. If one were to grade services, the service between Mallow and Tralee, apart from the first train out of Tralee at 7.30 a.m. and the evening train from Dublin, leaves much to be desired.
The motion is timely. We are facing serious problems in terms of the quality of the service on offer. The Minister has ultimate responsibility for providing a safe and reliable transport system. Her efforts to avoid this responsibility do not augur well. I hope she will outline how she will upgrade the services which are badly needed.