Deputy Browne is in possession and has 14 minutes remaining.
Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Bill, 2001 [ Seanad ] : Second Stage (Resumed).
Question again proposed: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
(Carlow-Kilkenny): Ar an gcéad dul síos ba mhaith liom mo chuid ama a roinnt leis an Teachta Deenihan. I will share my time with Deputy Deenihan.
An lá faoi dheireadh bhíomar ag caint faoin mBille seo agus rinne mé tagairt don West Clare Railway. Dúnadh a lán bhóthar iarainn ar fud na tíre ag an am agus ina dhiaidh sin agus is mór an trua é. Is dócha gur cheap gach éinne a bhí ag tiomáint i ngluaisteán nua ag an am nach mbeadh gá ar bith leis na bóithre iarainn ach ní mar sin atá an scéal. Faoi láthair tá brú ar na bóithre agus ba chóir go mbeadh na bóithre iarainn ar ais arís.
In particular it is important that railways are used for transporting goods. Heavy trucks would then be taken off the roads and roads would be safer. Rail transport has become much more comfortable now and I compliment the rail train service from Waterford to Dublin. My one request for the line would be a change in the timetable. The 9 a.m. train which passes through Carlow is of little benefit to anyone who wants to get to work in Dublin. There is a 6.30 a.m. train but that is probably too early. I understand that it would cause difficulty if all the trains arrived into Heuston Station at the one time but these two trains do not provide a good range of times. After last night, the Minister has surely a lot of spare trains to put on the tracks. The Minister has so much money, as she said in her defence last night.
There is no doubt that if we got train services back more people would travel. People have comfort travelling by train, they are not stuck in traffic jams and they can read or work on the train. It is a better form of transport. However, our rail system has been allowed to run down. I asked before that the Arrow service be extended to Carlow. It would be a help and people would get off the road and travel by train if they were sure they could get to and from their destination in reasonable time.
Those lucky enough to have the DART service have a marvellous system which runs on time. I do not travel much on the DART but I have been asked to request a service offered to DART passengers. If a train is delayed, or late, announcements are made to waiting DART passengers. This should be done in railway stations around the country where people are often left wondering. It would not cost a fortune to provide this service.
Last night Deputy Sargent mentioned the train that comes from Dundalk through Malahide in the morning. People have to reverse into the train and cannot fall if they faint it is so packed. The train is full before it gets to Donabate and the Deputy did not exaggerate when he described it. A person I know well found herself suspended and unable to get her feet on the ground it was so packed. An extra carriage should be added on to the train. It is far from my constituency but I know about it because one of my family travels on it.
I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on this Bill. Like other Deputies addressing the issue I will be a little parochial as it gives us the latitude to refer to our own patch.
I welcome the various developments that have been carried out on the Mallow-Tralee line. The whole railway infrastructure is important to a tourist county like Kerry. One-third of the tour ists who come to Kerry arrive by bus or rail and Kerrry receives in the region of two million tourists over the summer. The rail connection is very important. The line from Killarney to Mallow has been relaid and is vastly improved.
The line from Killarney to Tralee is not in good condition but is waiting for upgrading. I understand that £6 million are earmarked for 2002 and £3 million for 2003. I hope that schedule of work goes ahead and then we will have a good high standard line between Tralee and Mallow. Good railway infrastructure is important for the west. A peripheral county like Kerry is disadvantaged when it comes to industrial location and communication with the capital. An improved railway system would be of great help.
I understand that the upgrading of the line does not include the lines going through railway stations. Will the Minister refer to that in her reply? Track through the stations should be upgraded and relaid also. That connects to the signalling system which will have to be laid hand in hand with the line and it is important that work is carried out as soon as possible. British MPs who came to last January's meeting of the British Irish Parliamentary Body in Killarney were shocked by the condition of the rolling stock from Dublin to Killarney, and particularly from Mallow to Killarney. The Craven carriages which are in use on that train are more than 40 years old. If the track is to be brought to a high standard it is important that rolling stock be of a standard to match it. This improves the comfort of passengers. Can the Minister confirm that the Craven carriages are to be replaced by mark 3 rolling stock in 2003?
Rolling stock is very expensive. I was recently asked what I thought it would cost to replace a carriage and I suggested approximately £250,000. I was informed that a new carriage would cost as much as £1.6 million.
The price has risen to nearly £2 million.
To replace three carriages would cost nearly £6 million. Money will be more scarce than in the recent past but I hope new rolling stock will be provided, now that the condition of the line is to be improved.
The rail service from Tralee to Dublin is in need of improvement. I realise that the provision of an extra service costs a great deal of money. Carriages must be purchased and there are the ongoing costs of wages and so on. The 7.05 a.m. train from Cork to Dublin is very important for business passengers. I often connect with that train at Limerick Junction and I arrive in Dublin at 9.45 a.m. I notice the large number of business people who use this service rather than the airline service from Cork to Dublin. People find it more convenient to travel by train than by air. I find I can get much more work done on a train than on a plane. The air service from Kerry to Dublin is very good and very important but it is easier to work on a train than on a plane. Could the Minister examine the possibility of providing a train service, even from Killarney to Mallow? People from the Tralee area could drive to Killarney and then connect with the 7.05 a.m. train from Cork to Dublin. The earliest service from Tralee leaves at 7.30 a.m. and does not arrive in Dublin until 11.30 a.m. Many people find this is too late.
The media have recently reported investigations into rail incidents and accidents. I understand that witnesses are reluctant to come forward because they fear that under the Freedom of Information Act for example, their evidence might lead to their being charged in court or summoned to a Dáil committee. This situation is creating a difficulty for investigations. The best way to prevent an accident is to investigate accidents thoroughly. Can the Minister confirm that this difficulty exists within CIE?
Part V of the Bill deals with trespass on railways. However the Bill does not refer to abandoned railway lines. The new procurement agency should have responsibility for abandoned lines. They are important pieces of infrastructure which could be used as railway lines in the future or given other uses. CIE has ignored this important resource which could have been used for tourism. Many fine houses were allowed to become derelict through the negligence of CIE.
A number of heritage railways have developed throughout the country. Does the Bill refer to safety on these railways?
A railway safety Bill will be published in about a month's time. It refers to heritage railways.
I thank the Minister.
I wish to share my time with Deputy Keaveney. I welcome the fact that we are discussing this Bill to establish an independent statutory body to deal with light rail, metro and the regulation of light rail services when operating on-street.
I am glad the Minister took the opportunity to talk about progress to date on public transport projects. She mentioned the 148 new buses acquired by Bus Éireann in 2000. Galway city has seen the benefit of the new buses. Extra services have been put in place between Galway city and Dublin, with buses running every hour. One of the reasons for this is the advent of competition from private bus companies, such as CityLink and Nestors, which provide very good services on the Galway to Dublin and Galway to Dublin Airport routes. Now that these companies have been granted extra licences we will see an even better service between the west and Dublin.
However, Bus Éireann has not availed of all the opportunities available to it. For example, a Bus Éireann bus leaves Dublin for Tuam at 3 p.m. on Fridays. This is too early for people who wish to return to the west for the weekend. Those who use this service find there is no return service from Tuam to Dublin on Sunday evenings. While cities such as Galway have done very well from the provision of extra buses, smaller towns such as Tuam have lost out. Now that extra licences are being given to private bus operators I hope they will provide extra services to places like Tuam and other smaller towns.
Improvements have taken place on the railways. The train which leaves Galway for Dublin at 5.15 a.m. every day is a new and welcome development. I can now board a train at Ballinasloe at 6 a.m., if I make it to the station, and be in Dublin at 8.20 a.m. I and many others who have to get up at this early hour would like the train to stop at Woodlawn station, which recently underwent improvement works, because it is closer.
The departure of two evening Galway bound trains from Dublin at around 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. is a welcome development. I am aware of efforts being made to ensure the 8 a.m. Galway to Dublin train arrives earlier. It used to reach Dublin at 10.30 a.m., but now arrives at 10.15 a.m. I and my fellow passengers on that train have frequently received questionnaires asking the time we would like to arrive in Dublin. The majority would prefer to arrive before 10 a.m., in particular, elderly people with hospital appointments. This time would also suit Deputies travelling from the west to be present for the Order of Business at 10.30 a.m. Now that Iarnród Éireann has made improvements to the service, I hope the journey can be reduced by 15 minutes.
In recent weeks I and other Deputies have raised with the Minster for Public Enterprise the loss of the older railway lines, including the Harcourt Street, West Clare and Clifden lines. Another route which has fallen into disrepair is the Sligo Limerick line. Various committees are working to get the line maintained and improved, particularly the committee chaired by former Deputy and Senator, Martin J. O'Toole, and Fr. Micheál McGréil, which has compiled a great deal of work.
I refer the House to a submission made by Mr. Frank Dawson, director of community and enterprise of the Galway county development board on 10 August, which was jointly prepared by nine county development boards and three city development boards, extending from Donegal to Cork. The submission deserves investigation and I hope the Minister and her Department will examine it. It states that £100 million would be needed under the national development plan to upgrade the Sligo to Limerick rail route and re-open its idle sections. To put that in context, we are spending £1,000 million to build a new road from Galway to Dublin. The stretch of the new road from Galway to Ballinasloe will cost £300 million, that is, three times the estimated cost of upgrading this railway line. This matter should be investigated.
People ask at what point on the Sligo and Limerick route should one start work. This is irrel evant. As with any road, one can start at both ends or anywhere in between. It is a great opportunity and the line, which was open for passenger traffic until 1975, offers the advantage of developing tourism. I noticed in the submission, for example, that there is a spur to Knock International Airport.
Deputy John Browne referred to the development of forestry throughout the western region. This has been very progressive with mills at the masonite plant in Carrick-on-Shannon and in Clonmel and Waterford. Developing the line would keep heavy products such as timber off the road. From my conversations with people in the timber industry this would be a welcome development.
Unfortunately, FÁS and voluntary schemes are maintaining some of these lines. I am disappointed Iarnród Éireann is not providing much assistance. In fact, the company at one stage took up the line north of Tuam. It was the Minister's predecessor, Deputy Séamus Brennan, who arranged to have the line reinstalled. I hope no other railway lines are taken up in future but are instead used for freight or, better still, both freight and passenger traffic. I look forward to a complete line from Sligo to Limerick.
Tuam is not very well served with Bus Éireann services. A very interesting proposal has been made to establish a light rail service between Tuam and Galway as part of the Sligo to Limerick railway line. The people of Tuam have to travel to Galway to use train services and they often have to make the same journey to get a bus. There is a case for a light rail service. A line is already in place, the famous line used in the film, The Quiet Man, which was shot around Ballyglunin and I contend that we have been too quiet about this line.
There are too many quiet men around that area.
It is time these quiet men and women started talking about using it because there are traffic jams from Tuam into Galway city. We are told there will be a new road which will bring us out towards Athenry and into Galway by 2005-06. However, given that a railway line exists, there is a very strong case for introducing a light rail service. It has been most forcefully made by the Tuam Chamber of Commerce and the town commissioners. As anyone who travels to Galway by train will know, the great benefit of a light rail line from Tuam would be that one would arrive in Eyre Square in the city centre, unlike people travelling from the west to Dublin who still have some distance to go from Heuston Station to the city centre.
I am disappointed that Iarnród Éireann opposes the proposal because of cost and the fact that trains could only travel at 20 miles per hour on the line. It is a matter of funding and the engineering problems could be resolved. This line should no longer be used exclusively for film pur poses, although that would be welcome, provided there are passenger services from Tuam to Galway. Light rail would also help alleviate some of the traffic problems in the area. The Minister has done good work on public transport, both on the bus service and rail. Much of the Bill deals with Luas and light rail. My argument is that there is a strong case for a light rail system between Tuam and Galway.
The Deputy referred to The Quiet Man. I do not intend to be the quiet lady with regard to the position of Donegal. However, I will begin by welcoming the Bill. Any improvement to the light rail infrastructure around Dublin will undoubtedly assist everybody. Every time I see a reference to "railway infrastructure", however, I cringe and scream and shout in a corner before I can respond reasonably. I would love to have to deal with the problems mentioned by Deputies Michael Kitt and Deenihan regarding questionnaires on passengers preferred time of arrival in Dublin or length of train journey. I would even like to have problems with train strikes. Those of us living in that remote northern place, which is in reality far from remote, bypass those problems.
A train service or link for Donegal would be a crowning achievement. I hope this Minster who, of all Ministers, managed to improve our infrastructure in a very significant way, can provide us with a service. She was at the forefront when we argued for a Dublin to Derry air service and was on board its inaugural flight.
To link this to the topic at hand, we can fly from Donegal to Dublin in 30 minutes, or 40 minutes on a bad day. It often takes twice that to get from the airport to Leinster House. I welcome, therefore, the development of infrastructure around Dublin. The Minister looked at infrastructure from a different perspective as well and put her shoulder to the wheel to improve the gas network, including the link between Belfast and Letterkenny.
That will be of huge significance to us in the north-west. I have heard many Deputies from north Dublin complaining about job losses and my heart goes out to the Aer Lingus workers and the many other workers who have lost their jobs in the recent past. Two years ago my constituency lost more than 2,500 jobs and we have not had a great deal of success in achieving a turn around. Infrastructure is a key element in that turnaround of our fortune. The Dublin to Derry air service is bringing people into the region and I know many people use it for business and holiday visits. Proper infrastructure is vital for business, for tourism and for ease of movement. It takes me five and a half hours in my car to travel to Dublin. Five and a half hours out of a busy schedule such as we all here have is unfair. I have to do a day's work after spending a traumatic time just making the journey. The national spatial strategy has anticipated that traffic volumes will double between now and 2006. The projection for traffic has more than exceeded our expectations and it presently equals the projection for 2011.
Our roads cannot cope with current traffic volumes and we know these volumes will increase. The railways will be the solution to these problems, particularly in the carriage of freight. The Minister for Public Enterprise has led the charge in upgrading the Derry to Belfast road. I used the Belfast to Derry train service when I was a student in Jordanstown. At that time there was no link between the two Belfast stations which would allow the train continue on to Dublin. That situation has been addressed and there have been improvements on the Belfast to Derry line. It would not involve very significant investment to introduce a Derry to Dublin rail service. The line is there and the rolling stock is available. Anything would be better than a five and a half hour journey by car and a four hour train journey would be more than acceptable to the people of the north-west region.
Will the Minister use her connections with the new Deputy First Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Mark Durkan, who is also the Minister for Finance. Mark Durkan is from Derry and he understands the situation and would probably value the service as much as any of us in Donegal. Mr. Durkan could be asked for an estimate of the cost of improving the tracks and rolling stock in order to develop a through service from Dublin to Derry.
I was disappointed yesterday when the Ceann Comhairle's office refused a parliamentary question of mine to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government about the N2 – A5 road. I wanted to ask the Minister what discussions he planned to have with his counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive in relation to the A5 road, the road from Aughnacloy to Derry. The question was ruled out of order because the Dáil has no responsibility for that road. I am sure that if I table a question on the Belfast to Derry rail line, I will get the same response. The Dáil has a responsibility particularly following the Good Friday Agreement. It is very relevant to me to have a Dublin to Derry train service and a Dublin to Derry road network. It should be discussed at ministerial level and the Members of this House should be entitled to an answer in these matters. I am confident the Minister for Public Enterprise would be prepared to raise the issue on my behalf.
My constituency is not far from Derry, it is a major regional centre. We would like to then see an extension of the service to Letterkenny and into Inishowen as it was in the past. This would not be a new service and that is what annoys many people.
When were those services closed down?
They were closed in the 50s or the 60s when many other lines were closed. I have maps and details of what used to exist. Not all routes could be regenerated because of building development but some of the routes would be available. I agree with Deputy Michael Kitt on the issue of the Sligo to Donegal connection. He spoke about the Sligo to Limerick connection but I would be in favour of a through connection from Limerick to link up with the Derry service in order to incorporate the whole western region and the whole north-western region and so have an all-Ireland train service available to us. The roads cannot cope with the traffic levels. We are not building huge autobahns but we have an existing railway structure which could be updated. It would not be an impossible task.
I congratulate Mark Durkan on becoming Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive. Gregory Campbell is also from Derry and he will understand the special needs of the north-west region. I hope to have the same opportunity to do my work while travelling by train as the other Deputies have and end this obvious discrimination against me. I want Letterkenny and Inishowen to have a train service in the not too distant future but it will not happen unless a serious effort is made and the costings are examined. I know this Minister delivers. She has a knack when it comes to cross-Border operations and she has my full confidence. Now that the Good Friday Agreement is back on track, if the pun can be excused, I hope that there will be no more bomb scares on the Dublin to Belfast line. Anyone who tries to disrupt the infrastructure should be severely dealt with. It is important to have real infrastructure that can be used and enjoyed and many local groups have developed small sections of old railways. I wish the Minister well with this Bill.
Deputy Durkan has twenty minutes.
I propose to give five minutes of my time to my colleague from Limerick, Deputy Finucane. There is no other element of transport where there have been more lost opportunities, than the rail transport system. I am not in a position to remember 70 or 80 years ago but people at that time had the choice of a number of modes of transport. There was a poor road transport system but quite a good rail transport system which was modern and effective for the time. The canal system was used for heavier goods. In a moment of inspiration and for some unknown reason, it was decided that with an improving road network there would be no need for the rail service and the County Donegal rail service as mentioned by Deputy Keaveney and various other lines throughout the country were closed down. Several rail networks in my constituency have been closed. There used to be a rail link to Naas. The rail bridge is no longer there and the new motorway crosses the area between the Sallins rail line and the town of Naas, although the rail line could be reconnected. There has been a dramatic increase in traffic on the roads. I welcome the introduction of this Bill and hope it will be effective for the sake of the Minister, the people and the country.
All the old rail systems have been closed. I will not go into what happened to the Harcourt Street line with which I am reasonably familiar. When those rail lines closed the volume of traffic began to increase and the need for transport is increasing all the time. The need for heavy goods transport was never more obvious that it is now, but the options are limited. Heavy goods can be transported by rail, underground in our towns and cities or on alternative road routes. Many people would say we should not provide any alternative road routes, that the answer to all transport problems is to stop building roads and that the volume of traffic will reduce, but that is not the case.
We must recognise that cities in the UK and elsewhere throughout Europe built motorways and autobahns 50 to 60 years ago to cater for the volume of traffic. They invested in the rail infrastructure at that time and built undergrounds. They provided for infrastructure then, which we did not. It is understandable that we did not do so. We were a young nation. We had no record of policies from which to work. We borrowed from the policies, many of which were defunct, of the former Administration across the water. We ended up with a dearth of infrastructure in road and rail transport and the canal system was closed to all intents and purposes. Some changes have been made. The canal system has been restored to a certain extent for recreational purposes.
There are some lovely ones in the Deputy's constituency.
That is great. I remember being at a meeting 20 years ago at which it was suggested that the canal that runs through the town of Maynooth should be filled in and a road built on it. That shows how dangerous it can be to make a decision on the spur of the moment. We must think in terms of planning for the future.
Two options remain open to us, the road and the rail systems. This Bill can only be successful if it is part of an integrated transport policy. On its own it will not solve anything, but if what is proposed in it was part of an integrated transport policy, if there were distinct objectives for a link up at various strategic locations throughout the country and if there was interlinking of the various towns and villages which could be done comparatively cheaply, it could be successful. If that is not done, we will end up in a few years' time hopping from one tragedy or emergency to another and we will be faced with problems.
The main streets of towns and villages are not the place for heavy goods traffic. A certain amount of such traffic is necessary for deliveries. As long as heavy, articulated vehicles can travel through the centre of small towns and villages, accidents will happen – and some occurred in my constituency in recent weeks. That is the nature of the movement of such traffic in small towns and villages because it is impossible to be vigilant to the extent that is necessary in order to preserve life. We must consider reliance of bypasses in the road system. That must be part of the integrated policy which will back up the system provided for and envisaged in this legislation. If we do not consider that, we will be back to square one.
It is difficult to drive through this city because of the combination of traffic competing for the roadway. The left lane is a bus lane, although sometimes it is the middle lane. I recognise the necessity for the bus lane and often there is a cycle lane to the left of the bus lane on one side of the road or sometimes of both sides. The trucks usually travel on the right of whichever lane is not already occupied and sometimes in two lanes where two exist. That leaves no possibility for traffic to move other than at the speed of the heavy goods vehicle.
The European Affairs Committee produced a short report a few years ago that examined the serious problems facing commuters in the greater Dublin area. That report is four years old but its recommendations are still relevant. In the context of its proposals, I ask the Minister to encourage the various agencies involved to co-operate in addressing the traffic problem. The Road Haulage Association was most co-operative and supportive of proposals put forward at that time. The docks board also needs to be involved in the equation. As long as heavy vehicular traffic pours out from and into the docks during peak hours, there will be serious traffic congestion and it will get worse. There is no way around that problem because our booming economy, or the economy at any time, will generate that volume of traffic. To address that problem, the co-operation of the various agencies involved is required.
I ask the Minister to encourage the city traders, the docks authorities, those responsible for traffic management in the corporation and road hauliers to co-operate to try to address that problem. From my experience, I am sure the road hauliers will be most helpful. They claimed they could reduce their charges to their customers by anything up to 15% and do more work in a given day if there was a regulation in place on the hours the docks were open in order to eliminate the heavy goods traffic in the centre of the city at particular times. The basis for that report was the European directive on transport and the sharing of transport opportunities and facilities, the provisions of which will come to pass in the not too distant future. If we do not do what is proposed in that report voluntarily, we will have to do so by virtue of that directive. I ask the Minister to ensure that is done now as it would be complementary to what she is trying to achieve and it would free up traffic somewhat in the city and for up to 20 miles outside it. During the construction of Luas there will be much more serious traffic problems than we have experienced so far.
The western commuter route, which has been upgraded, is heavily trafficked. Problems have been experienced on that route in recent weeks due to its upgrading and coming onstream of the new rolling stock. It took some trains up to an hour and a half to reach their destination because of leaves on the tracks.
The Deputy tabled a parliamentary question on that matter.
I did, but that situation should not arise. On the same route on another morning a level crossing gate was not opened on time because the person who opens the gate could not get to work on time. We have to depend on a person travelling from A to B to open a gate at C to let commuters go about their business. I am aware that arrangement is being examined with a view to changing it, but it is a matter of extreme urgency.
The use of undergrounds in the future must be examined much more carefully and closely. If our roads are crowded with trucks, cars, buses and bikes competing for the meagre road space available, it follows that we must go for the underground option. Every other capital city – we will be doing so to a limited extent – has done that. They do not seem to have experienced the problems that we anticipate. We should not hold up progress on the basis that the make up of the subterranean terrain is such that it is impossible to build a tunnel through it. People have been building tunnels for the past 200 years.
I made that argument when we changed the Luas.
I know. I am not disagreeing with the Minister. The point is that the Romans were able to build tunnels so I do not understand why we cannot get around to doing it.
There is a necessity to provide spurs where possible, particularly where there are growing communities throughout the country. When one asked about this in the past, one was told it could not be done because the necessary resources were not available. We are now reaching the stage where it is necessary to provide spurs, regardless of resources. If we do not do so, everything will come to a stop.
On some days I can travel the 20 miles or so from my home to this House in half an hour, on other days it might take two hours. That is a huge difference. There must be some mechanism along the route causing the problem, whether it is traffic lights failure or trains breaking down and pouring more people on to the road. That problem exists and I ask the Minister to bear it in mind when implementing this legislation. It is welcome legislation but it can only be successful if it is part of a co-ordinated and integrated plan.
The other issue is the growth of satellite towns outside the greater Dublin area. It is essential to provide an alternative means of transport. However, there is a suggestion that we should build towns and cities along railway lines. It is a good idea from the point of view of transport but it does not look good. There must be an overall plan. There must also be a local community identity. It should not simply be the case that multi-storey blocks are built near railway tracks to facilitate easy transport.
Particularly when there are no trains on the tracks.
Yes. We might claim that this country has problems but other countries are far more densely populated. Ireland is one of the least densely populated countries in Europe. We seem to have the most horrendous traffic problems but we are not able to deal with them. There is a multiplicity of reasons for that. There are countless objections to any proposals. There is a reliance on archaic planning law which we appear to be unable to change to meet the requirements of modern life. With such a combination we will continue to have problems.
This country has a population of approximately four million. Holland has a population of almost 16 million although the area of the country is only one quarter that of Ireland. It is incredible that we should have these problems. It should be remembered that Holland is densely populated in its rural areas too. Six per cent more of the population in Holland lives in rural areas than is the case in Belgium. Holland appears to manage with a huge population and a huge economy that has been tried and trusted over the years.
I compliment the proposals in the Bill. I hope they will be part of an integrated plan and that there is adequate follow-up of the Bill rather than the usual stop-start situation – no pun intended.
I thank Deputy Durkan for sharing his time with me. Yesterday, the Secretary General of the Department of Public Enterprise was before the Committee of Public Accounts, so we had an opportunity to discuss the plans for the future.
Under the national development plan it is projected that £2 billion will be spent on transport infrastructure. Of that sum, £650 million is to be devoted to regional infrastructure. Is the Minister confident there will be sufficient funding to give priority to the safety infrastructure and to provide the rolling stock and engines to make our railways compatible with modern demands? The Minister might have read an article in last Sunday's Sunday Independent under the headline, “CIE has derailed our train system”.
Yes, it was by Gayle Killilea.
It was probably an isolated example but the article focused on a congested train, on which people were drunk and whose clapped out engine broke down and had to be replaced. Passengers spent hours on the train. As an image of the rail service, it was an isolated example. I travel regularly by train and I am impressed by the professionalism of the staff. I am also impressed with how various railway stations have been upgraded and improved to make them more consumer friendly.
Recently I travelled on the enterprise train from Dublin to Belfast to meet members of the public accounts committee in Northern Ireland. I was most impressed by the train, which was new, and the consumer relations aspect of operations. That is the direction we must go nationally. Members have mentioned the improvement of the Cork service and the new special carriages but if the rail service is to be compatible with consumer requirements, the improvements must be carried out on a national basis. The Minister will agree with that point.
One issue that has concerned me recently is the freight element of the service, which was long a significant feature of Iarnród Éireann's policy. It focused on the Kingscourt line and the transport of gypsum. The goods aspect of the service is being researched at present. Funnelling more traffic on to the national roads is a contradiction of our transport philosophy. I can give the example of Foynes port in west Limerick. There were two mines in the Silvermines on one occasion, Magcobar and Mogul, which successfully transported their ores by rail to Foynes.
I discussed this issue with the former Minister for the Marine and Natural Resource, Deputy Woods. When the Galmoy mines were being established in Tipperary all the ore was transported by road to Cork, through the traffic into the city and on to the port and the warehouse. At the time, although the economics probably dictated that it did not happen then, a spur line of eight miles would have taken the ore to Thurles and it could then have been transported by rail. That would have removed a huge number of trucks from the roads. When studying proposals for the future role of Iarnród Éireann with regard to goods traffic, one must look at such situations. Transporting freight by rail should be encouraged in the interests of road safety and relieving congestion of our roads and cities. If freight is being transported to ports, it should be brought by rail.
I would like to develop these points further but time dictates otherwise. These issues should be examined with regard to goods traffic.
I wish to share time with Deputy Brian Lenihan.
Acting Chairman:
Is that agreed? Agreed.
I welcome the Bill. It provides for an independent and commercial statutory State body to be called the Railway Procurement Agency. It will be in charge of approval of railway infrastructure projects, including light rail and metro, and the regulation of light rail services.
Everybody is aware of the importance of addressing congestion in urban and non-urban areas and the need to provide a reliable and efficient public transport system. Much progress has been made in that regard. One of the important things is that we now realise we cannot afford not to do these things. The national development plan provides for investment of £2.2 billion, the kind of sum that trips fairly readily off the tongue these days but was frightening and unimaginable as recently as seven or eight years ago.
In her Second Stage speech, under various categories, the Minister listed the additional transport infrastructure which has been provided or has been ordered, including DART carriages and buses. I estimate that there are approximately 430 additional buses on various routes and that 150 replacement buses have been acquired. Almost 80 rail carriages are in use or have been ordered, at least 220 miles of track has been replaced, 240 level crossings have been brought up to a modern standard and about 200 bridges are in use and 50 others are under construction. In a short time, a huge amount of work has commenced to improve public transport infrastructure.
I welcome the fact that the Minister stated that she intends to bring forward a Bill to create a regulatory framework for railway safety. Everyone realises that safety is of crucial importance and the new Bill will be a considerable addition to transport legislation. Those who frequently use rail services, especially inter-city services, have come to appreciate the advantages of line welding. It makes the journey a great deal more comfortable, as it means there is much less noise and greater speed is possible. It is frustrating for the Minister and all involved with the railways that it is not possible to order carriages from the shelf and that there is a considerable waiting time. The delay in procuring engines and carriages seems to militate against the better use of the existing rail network. The carriages have been ordered, however, and will come on stream in 2002 and 2003. The implementation body will have responsibility for Luas. I welcome the fact that the Tallaght and Sandyford lines will be in operation in about two years' time.
Is the Deputy moving constituency?
He is hoping for a Luas line in Clare.
I used to live in Dublin city centre, but for personal reasons I have been living about ten miles from the city centre for the past few months. One has to experience the delays in the morning to understand the frustration of those stuck in traffic every day. One cannot help noticing that 90% of cars travelling towards the city centre have only one occupant. I suspect that many people make journeys that could be as easily accomplished on public transport, but it is a matter of personal choice. I suspect strongly that people are more readily inclined to abandon the car for a rail carriage than for a bus and I think this is borne out by the DART experience.
That is true, but I do not know why.
Perhaps they think that they would travel the same route by bus as by car and that it would be just as slow. They enjoy the independence of the car and they may be fortunate enough to have parking facilities near their workplaces.
We are lucky to have such facilities here.
We should not forget that we enjoy a considerable advantage.
We do not appreciate it.
The Deputy is correct. People in rural areas tend not to understand the difficulties of accessing work places that are faced by people in cities. Opposition politicians often castigate Governments for spending huge amounts of money in Dublin and argue that it demonstrates that Dublin rules everything and enjoys an unfair share of infrastructural improvements. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. People in relatively rural areas, such as Galway, Limerick and Cork, appreciate the problems encountered by people in Dublin as they face many of the same problems. Traffic can be a problem in a town like Ennis. The approach roads to Ennis were very quiet a few years ago, but now suffer from a huge level of congestion. It is not possible to say that a journey will take ten minutes, as one must allow for the fact that there may be a 20 minute delay, causing the journey to take half an hour. The Acting Chairman and a number of other Deputies here represent rural areas, where there are travel difficulties, albeit to a lesser extent. Newmarket-on-Fergus, in my constituency, has become nationally famous as it is invariably in the top three towns in terms of delays.
Yes.
The bypass there has almost been completed, however, following several years of planning and three or four years of construction. The first phase will open shortly, which will be a great help. As Deputy Donal Carey said here a few weeks ago, the problem will be transferred elsewhere in the short-term.
Traffic will be backed up to Enfield.
The second phase of the bypass is under way and will be completed within the next few years. I made a submission on the national spatial strategy based on the need to create national counter balances to the Dublin cosmopolitan mass. I see the Shannon area, including Limerick and Galway, as a possible such balance. Cork is another region with the capacity to perform such a role. We need to work pro-actively to invest in infrastructure in those places.
When the Newmarket-on-Fergus bypass was under way, a 24 inch water pipeline was needed between Shannon and Ennis. There was an enormous difficulty in persuading NRA engineers that it was possible to lay the pipeline in conjunction with the acquisition of land and the construction of the road. The truth is that the NRA resisted strongly, but was persuaded eventually to allow the water main to be laid. The planning involved in many roads projects could also take in additional rail networks. I have often plagued the Minister about the need for a spur line to Shannon Airport. The NRA could have been much more co-operative, for example by allowing for the joint planning of the rail line, even if it was not to be built for 20 years. There is no difficulty along most of the potential line, but problems may be posed by a complex road junction. The spur line will happen and it will have to get past the junction I have mentioned. It could have been accommodated readily when the junction was being planned, but it was not.
I refer to the closed West Clare Railway, which is frequently mentioned in song and was discussed by Deputy John Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) during the debate on 18 October. An article about the west Clare line was mentioned by Deputy Finucane last week. A section of the line between Kilrush and Kilkee is being restored at modest cost. I pay tribute to Iarnród Éireann's co-operation in leasing an engine and making old rail available. It is a project with enormous potential benefits in terms of tourism as there is a huge international railway enthusiasts network, which this country has not yet tried to attract.
That is true.
The West Clare Railway Company acquired the land for the line and sufficient rolling stock. It had a turnover of £35,000 last year and a local man, Jackie Whelan, has done most of the work. Unfortunately, the company falls between all the stools in terms of financing from Departments, which is a great pity, as the project has considerable tourism potential. The line would link Kilrush and Kilkee by rail, which would be a major attraction for the area.
Deputy Deenihan and others have referred to air connections. The air links between Dublin and Cork, Waterford, Farranfore, Shannon, Galway, Knock, Sligo, Carrickfinn and Derry should be actively subvented, especially in the short-term as there are problems with the rail network. It is possible to encourage more people to use the air network, although I concede that when one arrives in Dublin Airport, in Deputy Seán Ryan's constituency, it often takes longer to get to the city centre than it took to get to the rural airport and to fly to Dublin. Such transport problems will be addressed by the proposals in this Bill. A good case can be made for the subvention of air services as they provide much quicker connections and reduce travel time dramatically. There has been a move to using aeroplanes for domestic travel and in the present climate, anything that can be done to promote the use of airports and air travel should be encouraged.
I will finish with two brief points. I pay tribute to the mini-CTC signalling project sub-committee, which faces an arduous and time-consuming task. The Deputies involved are engaging in important Oireachtas work, which very few of us would be prepared to do at a time when half our attention is directed towards the forthcoming general election. The Minister has heard me mention the need to upgrade the Sligo-Limerick rail line on many occasions, especially the possibility of a spur line to Shannon airport, which could be established for a modest cost.
I welcome this Bill which, as the Minister outlined in her speech, provides for the establishment of a procurement agency with a "can do" focus. The agency will ensure that the Luas line, currently under construction, will have an operator and that the envisaged metro lines will be developed. Having listened to Deputy Killeen's experiences as a commuter from the suburbs of Dublin, I am pleased that County Clare is still represented by a man who can look into his heart to see what the Irish people want and need. He showed tremendous insight into the problems of the Dublin commuter. It is important and it will command agreement on all sides of the House that this legislation is enacted as quickly as possible to allow the agency to do the important work in relation to Luas and the development of a metro. The core functions of the agency are set out in section 11 of the Bill. It clearly envisages not only the provision of light and metro railway infrastructure, but it also gives the agency the power to enter into agreements. What is envisaged are public private partnerships in the development of our railway infrastructure.
I appreciate that the scope of the Bill is not limited to the Dublin area because this agency can improve the railway infrastructure in any part of Ireland. That is important because the type of problem we have experienced in Dublin in recent years is mirrored to a greater or lesser degree in the other urban centres of population. There are other issues, such as those raised by Deputy Finucane, about the long-term use of the rail network to take heavy goods off the road network.
I would like to focus on the greater Dublin area. It is a substantial part of the State and that is where the problems of traffic congestion and commuting are at their most acute. I have the honour to represent an area which is set to grow to a suburban centre of more than 100,000 people. The latest estimate is that the greater Blanchardstown area will have a population of 120,000 people within a decade. That is a dramatic increase from the recorded population of 57,000 at the last census in 1996. The reason the original projected population of 100,000 has increased to 120,000 is that the Department of the Environment and Local Government now requires increased residential densities in planning applications.
That touches on a point raised by Deputy Durkan that we need higher density population to plan for a better transport infrastructure. If we keep building Dublin in the dispersed way we have done for a long time, we will not be able to provide an efficient and up to date transport infrastructure. That is an example of where a Government took a hard decision on densities, although it did not suit us at local level. However, the decision was taken and implemented in the national interest. As a member of Fingal County Council, Deputy Seán Ryan did not press that view strongly. However, as we face into a general election we, on this side of the House, must point out to the people that we were not afraid to take certain decisions. That was not a popular decision in the area I represent.
What decision was that?
The decision to increase the densities in planning applications made by the Department of the Environment and Local Government.
We might look more favourably on that if public transport was provided to facilitate it.
If we want to tackle that issue, we must face up to the fact that we require higher densities to match that investment.
The Deputy is right.
We cannot live in a make believe world. That is one of the problems with the quality of local debate on this subject at county council level. Given that our population is increasing to that level, we must have a planned infrastructure. While this is an excellent agency which is badly needed because we need a practical agency to deal with the practicalities of acquiring land and building the rail infrastructure, we need a vision of where the overall structure will mesh and we also need a planned and phased implementation schedule.
We must make it clear as far as Dublin is concerned – I know the Minister has said this many times – that the first priority must be a proper rapid rail link to the airport. I am sure Deputy Seán Ryan would agree with me. It is absolutely essential that we develop rapid transit between the airport and the city centre. That must be our priority project. We cannot let that drift because there has been too much delay in implementing important infrastructural projects. I know the light rail office is looking at that and at the associ ated western orbital route which affects my constituency. I was unhappy with the indicative guidelines outlined by the Dublin Transportation Office about that route. They seem to belong to a land of poetry rather than a land of practical implementation. The light rail office is looking at that and trying to see how those routes can be brought into the practical realm. I welcome that. I reiterate, the first priority in terms of the metro must be to develop a rapid link to the airport.
We must also look at how the new system will serve the new housing estates which are being planned and developed in an area such as Blanchardstown. The routes proposed by the Dublin Transportation Office went through settled residential areas which are already served by an existing public transport network. This seems to be one of the major planning problems with both Luas and the DTO initiative. Routes have been planned for areas which already have a rail or bus infrastructure, but we seem to forget because of the pace of development that we need to plan for areas which are as yet unbuilt. That is where the priority lies in terms of infrastructure and the plans should reflect that. I am talking about planned rail infrastructure and the metro.
Since I was elected to this House I have said we should not ignore the fact that we can build on the tremendous existing rail infrastructure we already have in the greater Dublin area. I welcomed the Minister's decision when she took office to make a substantial investment in the Maynooth line. That programme of investment must be ongoing. There is a technical problem in that there are a limited number of slots available at Connolly Station to integrate the line into the main DART line which runs from Bray to Howth. However, there are other engineering possibilities. We should examine the option of reopening the line to Broadstone because the land is still there. There is also a line which runs underneath the DART line down to Spencer Dock. That could be examined so that more carriages are placed on that line. There are similar lines running through Kildare and north Dublin which must be developed and investments made. I was delighted the Minister referred to the fact that an investment has been made in a large number of rail cars. This must be a continuous programme.
While the procurement agency has a function in relation to new infrastructure and it is important we get on with that work and we lay down clear priorities, we must start by developing a clear route to the airport. We must also develop other lines for new areas while focusing on bringing new infrastructure into those areas. In Blanchardstown, for example, we should tie in the town centre and the new residential developments to the west of the town centre, link it with the Maynooth line at a westerly point and carry it on to the new development planned in Lucan at Adamstown which will have more than 10,000 housing units. These are the types of developments the light rail office must examine.
Stadium Ireland.
There is no point looking at where the houses are already; we must look at where the houses will be. The failure in our infrastructure planning to date is that we planned for housing after the houses were built. We must plan and anticipate what will happen in these areas because there is no point pretending that Dublin will not continue to grow. It will continue to grow and we must cope with that fact.
As regards existing infrastructure, I am a little concerned that while the Bill gives a strong focus on developing new rail infrastructure, investment in the existing rail infrastructure is the best investment we could make because in value for money terms it is a good return on the investment.
I wish to share my time with Deputy Seán Ryan.
Acting Chairman:
Is that agreed? Agreed.
I welcome the fact that at last public transport is getting the priority, attention and the legislative framework it deserves and needs. The Labour Party spokesperson on Transport and my Kildare colleague, Deputy Stagg, has taken a constructive approach to this Bill in the context of the importance the Labour Party attaches to developing our public transport infrastructure. We had some reservations about the Bill which were expressed by Deputy Stagg, such as the fact that we want safeguards in the Bill to ensure it is not a back door to privatisation. The experience of Railtrack in the UK must surely raise warning signals about the risk to our public transport system of privatisation.
I am also glad to have the opportunity to congratulate the Minister on the re-opening of the railway station at Monasterevan. Unfortunately, I was not present on the day she re-opened it but I know the chairman of the station committee, Nelly O'Rourke, gave the Minister a great welcome and everything went well. I am delighted this station will have a pivotal role to play in serving the people of the area and it is hoped this initiative represents the first step in strengthening public transport services for the people of County Kildare.
Labour's commitment to the development of public transport is long-standing but its importance goes beyond all loyalties. It is crucial that public transport is developed to service counties such as Kildare, given its proximity to the capital city. For example, over the few years there will be massive traffic disruption in the metropolitan area because of the construction of Luas and it makes sense to take commuter traffic off the roads and divert as much of it as possible to the rail system to minimise the disruption that the growth in car numbers will inevitably generate.
I recently attended a SIMI seminar at which it was stated the continued growth in car ownership will inevitably lead to congestion on our roads and there is an absolute need to define alternative transport services, especially in regard to access to our capital city. In that context two important interchanges are to be built along the N7 at Johnstown and Kill, County Kildare, and this will result in further disruption of the traffic flow to and from Dublin and for people living in Kildare. If more commuters can be attracted to use public transport fewer problems will result from these construction developments. Alternatives must be provided to road transport where road infrastructure projects are planned to preserve some semblance of a reasonable transport system over the coming years for commuters and those living in the counties adjacent to the metropolitan area.
Athy is almost a satellite town of Dublin. My son has a house in an estate in the town and of the 37 houses in it, the occupants of 29 commute to Dublin on a daily basis. That has created problems for the infrastructure of Athy and County Kildare generally. It is not enough to tell people that in the long run it will be to their benefit if they wait in long traffic queues in the short-term as many developments are undertaken to provide a better road and rail infrastructure.
The importance of proper parking facilities at train stations cannot be over emphasised. There was a major overhaul of such facilities at Kildare station and it has been of major benefit to commuters availing of the Arrow service.
That is good.
Any time one passes the car park it is full.
Imagine if all those cars were on the road.
I hope Monasterevan station will be developed in a similar manner. It is important facilities are provided to attract commuters to rail stations so that they know their vehicles will be safe for the day and they can avail of the train services to Dublin. They also do not face the risk of being clamped and so on if they had to bring their cars into the city. It is also in this sense that I welcome the re-opening of Monasterevan station.
I have long been an advocate of the extension of the Arrow service to Athy and Carlow. I have been advised there are plans to introduce such an extension in the next few years and there is a need to extend the line between Hazelhatch and Kildare before that can happen. Given the increasing traffic problems in our area, these plans should be advanced and implemented as soon as possible. There is a growing number of people commuting from my constituency to work in Dublin as a consequence of rising house prices in the city.
We want to provide commuters with a viable alternative to road transport and the Arrow service can contribute in this regard. The Minister is committed to extending the service and it would be of major benefit to all the towns on the line. Carlow town could be used as a terminus with trains picking up commuters at all stations in County Kildare. Perhaps a service could be provided between Kildare and Carlow stations in the short-term to alleviate some of the problems that will be created by Luas and the N7 developments.
As each year passes, people throughout the country, and in Leinster in particular, are horrified by the growth of traffic and the prospect of increased growth. It is for this reason that we welcome public transport initiatives such as that provided in the legislation. It would be a nonsense if this measure was nothing more than part of a hidden agenda to privatise our rail system. The problems of transport in our area require a much more imaginative and patriotic approach and I am taking it as read that the Minister is adopting such an approach.
I welcome the legislation and hope the Minister takes on board my comments regarding the advancement of the Arrow service. Kildare has become part of the greater Dublin area and the number of housing developments in small villages in Kildare South is unbelievable. They have all but lost the name of a village because of increasing populations. As I travel through these villages, I often see two or three cars outside every house and these contribute to the problems on our roads. The N7 is an absolute nightmare and one would want eyes in the back of one's head to negotiate it because of the volume of traffic.
The development of Monasterevan station and the Arrow service will help, I hope, but the Minister's Department must emphasise the need to utilise the rail system to overcome the gradual reliance on cars to travel to Dublin. Deputies Durkan and Killeen referred to the number of cars with a lone driver travelling to our towns and cities. Every effort should be made to highlight the need to avail of rail transport rather than road transport through advertisements and so on.
The Deputy referred to Deputy Stagg, whom I thank for his contribution.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate and to discuss the lack of public transport generally like many colleagues in both Houses. It is now fashionable for all parties to say they are in favour of public transport. I first entered the House in 1989 having been a former employee of CIE and I was very much aware of the running down of public transport and particularly the rail service over the years. I recall highlighting at every opportunity the need to provide more finance to upgrade public transport and improve the infrastructure and I was heckled by different sides of the House. Some Members at the time did not understand the difference between subvention and the need for capital investment for rail and other public transport systems.
The Bill relates to the operation of Luas and in many ways it is restrictive because I thought the Minister had other intentions in regard to both Luas and the Metro. I do not take it from her, but some months ago the Minister went to London for a photo-call on one of the Luas carriages. However, last weekend the Taoiseach had to become involved by way of a photo-call which led to a ludicrous situation in which traffic was disrupted and the project incurred considerable cost to put a Luas vehicle on display in the city centre.
Thousands of Dublin people came to see it. The Luas belongs to them, not to the Deputy and me.
Yes, but thousands of others would argue that this is another cynical exercise by this Government to try to win votes.
The Deputy has called that wrong.
People will become disillusioned if the Government continues this approach. I hope this will be the end of it.
It will not be the end of Luas.
I hope it will be the end of trying to con the people. The Government is responsible for the delay in developing Luas to the extent that it will be 2003 or 2004 before we see a train on the streets of Dublin.
The Deputy is jealous.
I am not jealous, I am simply stating the facts.
I appreciate the Minister's views regarding privatisation. Other Ministers and officials in her Department have different ideas regarding the proposed or possible privatisation or breaking up of the rail network. However, given the British experience I am seeking assurances that such an approach is not on the Minister's agenda and that it will not happen.
I agree.
The Minister should keep up the work in this regard.
UK privatisation wrecked the lines and there were tragedies.
I accept that point.
I wish to refer to the crisis regarding public transport in the greater Dublin area, particularly in the rail network. Chronic over-crowding on trains is causing stress and frustration for commuters. Even though I do not travel by train as much as I would wish, I regularly visit train stations. Last week I had to push young second ary school children on to a train so the carriage doors could close. This is an on-going situation and parents are concerned for the safety of children. Irish Rail has some excellent officials on the ground and the company stresses that safety is not put at risk. However, trains, particularly those operating at peak periods, on the outer suburban route from Pearse and Connolly Stations to Drogheda are known as the "sardine express".
A scandalous situation has developed which reflects the lack of commitment of successive Governments to public transport. More money has been allocated to this issue. However, an impression is being given that problems, particularly those regarding the northern suburban route which takes in Howth, Portmarnock, Donabate, Malahide, Skerries and Balbriggan in my constituency, will be solved by the DTO's programme for change and short-term action plan called DASH.
This programme will solve the problems if money is made available. However, there is a major restriction on the number of trains which can access Connolly and Pearse Stations at peak periods. A document published by the DTO regarding this issue contains pie in the sky proposals. It suggests that the situation can be dealt with by the construction of an interconnector tunnel from Heuston Station, via Pearse Station, to the docklands, with links to Maynooth and the northern DART lines which would take in the outer suburban area. The document also refers to the construction of a third track from Connolly Station to north of Howth Junction. These proposals look good for people trying to get on trains and off congested roads. The Minister can state that this is what will be delivered. However, what is happening when one gets down to the nitty-gritty? Is anything happening to deal with the major problems? There is a plan called DASH, but no work is being done regarding the implementation of its short-term proposals. Money has not been made available to even commence work next year.
One has to balance issues and there is a need for housing. Under the higher density proposals the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey, is directing local authorities to construct more three, four and five storey housing units along railway lines. People are being directed to live in such areas by the Department of the Environment and Local Government, local authorities, builders and developers. However, by the end of 2003, when all trains will have up to eight carriages, the additional capacity will only be for 2,000 passengers at the most.
Notwithstanding this fact, there are proposals for an extra 253,000 dwellings in the greater Dublin area, 18,500 of which will be in my constituency. People are going to live in these areas on the basis that trains will be available. The Minister should stand up and be counted on this issue.
Are the houses built yet?
She should tell people in my constituency that she will provide money and that CIE, in conjunction with the DTO and her office, will provide resources for trains so people can get off the congested roads. The quality of life for people I represent will be affected.
I understand I have ten minutes.
Acting Chairman:
You have 20 minutes unless you are sharing time.
I understand I am to share my time but if not—
Acting Chairman:
You have 20 minutes.
I thought the Deputy might share with Deputy Ring.
I will not share with Deputy Ring anyway if I have to talk all day and all night.
The Deputy does not mind sharing a constituency with me.
I say that out of generosity to Deputy Ring because, unfortunately, his party had nothing to talk about when in office and I do not want to put him through that.
Acting Chairman:
Are you sharing time with Deputy Ring?
No, I am not.
I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Bill, 2001. Part II of the Bill provides for the establishment of the railway procurement agency. Part III provides for a single statutory process for railway infrastructure projects and Part IV provides for a regulatory framework for running light rail on our streets. It is generally accepted that this Bill is necessary and I commend the Minister on bringing it before the House. We all recognise the need for an overall plan and strategy to oversee the development of rail transport. It deals specifically with the Luas and the metro projects and many people might ask what relevance that has to a rural Deputy like me. The reality is, it is hugely relevant. This is a small country and many people from rural areas come to Dublin on a weekly basis to do business, for medical treatment or whatever. We are as concerned about a proper public transport system in the city as anybody else. We have our own concerns which I will mention in a minute. I am delighted the Minister is taking very positive action on the situation in the west, and improvements are continuing.
I welcome the fact the railway procurement agency will be an independent statutory State body with responsibility for procuring light rail and metro projects as determined by the Minister and that the light rail project office, suitably restructured and expanded, will form the starting point for this new agency. As the Bill already indicates, the focus of this relates to railway infrastructure. What everyone wants to see is a high quality infrastructure providing a reliable and efficient public transport system. The growth in our economy and the way the country has developed – probably faster than anyone could have expected in the past five years, in particular – is a massive challenge facing a Government.
I listened to Deputy Ryan talk about this Government and photo-calls. The reality is that this Government is the first to put its money where its mouth is by putting £2.2 billion into the public transport system bringing about massive improvements over the past four and half years. With an investment of that nature, it might take many years for the benefits to be seen and realised. The reality is the work had to start and, unfortunately, we were starting from a very low base because of the neglect of many Governments previous to this one. I commend the Minister on the very progressive steps she has taken in relation to the public transport system.
The Minister mentioned the increasing level of car ownership in urban centres which has resulted in massive congestion. This, however, is not only happening in the urban centres. When we talk about public transport, we often tend to focus on the main cities. As everybody in this House knows, because it has been debated often enough, we have a massive congestion problem on roads such as the N5. Travelling to Dublin yesterday from the west, I got caught behind three articulated lorries in a row on the Roscommon stretch of the N5. Anyone who has travelled on that road on a regular basis will know that once that happens, one will not go anywhere for a long time. Some 20 years ago, one could travel from the west to the city in three and half to four hours. I am sad that today it takes a person at least as long, if not longer, to travel to the city. That is why the development of the rail links throughout the regions, which have been neglected for so many years, is hugely important to help remove the congestion problems, even on roads like the N5, and to encourage people like myself doing business in the city to use the rail system.
It is one thing to get on the train in Castlebar and travel to Dublin but there is no point having a great link to the city unless a public transport system is available in the city to enable people staying there for two or three days to carry out their business efficiently. As I said, the Minister had to start from a very low base and sometimes people want an immediate solution to what has turned out to be a very serious problem.
We all do.
Yes, we all do. People want the railways laid and the Luas to be operational immediately but we all know a project of that size will take many years. We have to put up with a great deal of disruption in the city to put such a system in place and people have to be very patient.
I welcome that under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, we are investing £2.2 billion in public transport. By anyone's reckoning, that is an unprecedented level of funding in the public transport system. It will enable major advances in that area in the years ahead, and I compliment the Minister on that.
In addition, a railway safety programme has been under way. This is something in which I am particularly interested because if affects my part of the country. Some £430 million has been invested in railway safety between 1999 and 2003. To date 220 miles of track have been upgraded as have 189 level crossings, although 50 further crossings remain to be done. Some 190 bridges have been upgraded with a further 45 to be completed by the end of this year.
We have seen significant improvements on the Dublin-Wesport line which goes through Athlone, a line with which the Minister and I are familiar. It has taken until now for the benefits to come on stream and we have suffered serious disruption. However, as I mentioned earlier, from the point at which the investment is made to see an improvement in a service takes time. Between Athlone and Westport, 63 miles of track have to be upgraded to continuous welded track. Some 11 of those miles were done in 1999, 13 in 2000 and 21 in 2001. Some 45 of 63 miles have been completed – two thirds so far – with an investment of more than £20 million. A further £10 million has yet to be spent and is expected to be spent over the next year.
We welcome the continuous welded track – it is a huge upgrade and the first time that type of investment has been made in the Dublin-Westport line. However, we need good quality carriages. While I welcome what has been achieved under the NDP – the new DART carriages and 60 Arrow rail cars – the carriages to the west need to be looked at. In line with the excellent work she is doing, I would appreciate it if the Minister would take that on board. I travelled on that line as a student. When Deputy Ryan spoke about pushing people on to a train to enable the doors to close, it brought back some memories from my student days when there was standing room only on a rather cold and inefficient train service from the west. While we have seen improvements, a great deal of work remains to be done. I understand the Minister recognises that and that some improvements have been made.
We, in the west, would like to see lines reopened, in particular the reactivation of the Claremorris – Collooney line. As the Minister will know, a committee has been set up to examine that. While some people might think that pales in significance to some of the problems we have in the city, it would provide a major tourism facility in the west. The line is already there and I understand the Department is already aware of the cost involved. Obviously, it would cost a significant amount of money but I ask that the Minister consider it because a fairly active committee has been working on it for a several years. It would be great to see its efforts rewarded and a major tourism project for the west at the same time.
In addition, the Minister might examine developing the line from Claremorris to Galway. We have a huge amount of commuter traffic again causing terrible congestion on the roads between Claremorris and Galway. Travel times have increased drastically, although the standard of that road is quite good. However, if that line could be re-opened, most of the necessary infrastructure is in place. I would appreciate if the Minister could look into that matter.
I welcome that the Minister has taken the Dublin light rail project by the scruff of the neck. Her
commitment to this project since coming into office has been 100%. We are already seeing the benefits. The construction of both lines is on target and will I hope be completed in 2003 with passenger services commencing shortly thereafter. That is welcome. In addition, the construction of the metro and the light rail network will require the focus and attention of an implementing body. That is covered in the Bill by the establishment of the Railway Procurement Agency.
Much has been achieved to date. Huge investment has been made in public transport and this Bill goes a long way towards achieving the goal of better transport services. There has been a regional input into the area of railway safety and the development of public transport throughout the country. This should remain uppermost in the Minister's mind although we must also deal with the problems in the urban centres, and particularly in Dublin. While I welcome that £2.2 billion has been committed to this, in the years ahead more funding must be ploughed into public transport, and particularly into the railways, if we are to provide a serious alternative to the congestion currently being experienced on our roads and urban centres.
Rail transport has been debated in the Dáil many times in recent years, particularly from a west of Ireland perspective. I am sometimes amazed by the comments from the Opposition benches. While the Opposition was in Government, "railways" was a dirty word and not mentioned. There was no investment in the rail network. I find it extraordinary, therefore, that we are today to debate the Minister's position during Private Members' business. The Minister has gone to great lengths, in all areas of her brief, to improve services to the public. Of all Ministers, she has one of the heaviest work loads and has dealt with some of the most serious topics during her term in office. The Minister is only one woman and it is great from a gender point of view to see someone who is prepared to take the issue by the scruff of the neck and deal with it. The Minister has achieved a huge amount in her period in office and I assure her of my support during the Private Members' debate in the House.
I commend this Bill to the House and welcome that it is generally recognised by both the public and trade unions that this is necessary legislation if we are to develop an overall strategy. Developments such as this must be planned, and must be implemented properly when a plan is in place. This Bill will help to achieve that.
Deputy Cooper-Flynn will not mind handing over to me at this point.
It breaks my heart.
We share a constituency and I have always believed in power sharing.
The Deputy also believes in the PR system.
I do. The PR system is very important. I wish to share time with Deputy Connaughton.
It might be said that, as a rural Deputy, I and others are anti-Dublin and against the system in Dublin. We are not. Dublin, whether we like it or not, is our capital city. I like Dublin city. It is important, as Deputy Cooper-Flynn has said, that when people come to the city we have a proper transport system in place for them. We support Luas and hope it works and that we see further improvements on the line from Dublin to Westport also.
I intend to have a closer look at the new carriages in Merrion Square. I saw the carriages there yesterday and they look impressive. People can be negative or positive about this matter but we have been negative about railway infrastructure for the past 50 years. We did not deal with the problems as we should have. Nobody thought our roads would have to take the number of cars now travelling on them, or that Ireland would progress as it has. We might be going through difficult times at the moment, but the cars and people will not go off the road. There will be infrastructure problems and they must be dealt with. We may want quick solutions, but it is certain that we need solutions, whether or not they come quickly.
I was elected to the Dáil in 1994 and can remember leaving the west to travel to Dublin at a time when there would be little traffic congestion until one got close to Dublin, or perhaps at some other places on busy days. That is no longer the case. There are problems in every town and village on the road to Dublin due to the number of cars on the road. It is important that the public rail service is upgraded and brought to a proper standard so that the public will use it.
I have a strong association with Irish rail. My uncle worked with Irish Rail for 40 years and he loved the company. I remember being critical of the company at times and my uncle did not like that. Some people treat their work as just being a job, others have a love for it. He had a love for the railways and for Irish Rail. He still visits the railway station daily and he owns the Railway Tavern at Westport. There is a strong bond between those who love the railways.
I also know people like that in Athlone where there is a railhead.
These people were upset to see what has happened over the years in relation to funding not being put in place. It is like the situation in politics where the Minister might have responsibility for funding but she cannot be blamed if a train does not travel further than Athlone today, because she is not driving the train. At the same time, the Minister is responsible for funding and ensuring that the service is available. Over the years, the funding has not been put in by successive Governments. Those workers in the front line who had to deal with customers were the ones who took the flak. They were upset by this over the years.
On the service to the west, I acknowledge that the funding has now been put in place. However, I am worried. Last week, some 600 people were working on the line between Athlone and Westport.
Were they working on the track?
Yes. I believe some of these people are to be made redundant. Deputy Cooper-Flynn was correct. We have suffered. People do not mind suffering if that brings about a better service and we hope to see that in the near future. A part of the track from Castlebar to Westport still requires work. I hope the Minister will instruct the body dealing with the track to undertake that work immediately. There is again talk of postponing the work. It was to be done in 12 months but that changed to 18 months. Three years is now the suggested time scale. That defeats what the Minister has done.
I take the Deputy's point but the lines are laid out over a certain distance.
That is true, but there is a suggestion that it will not be done as quickly as promised. That defeats the purpose and it will upset people. As it was, they had to be bussed to Castlerea and taken on by train.
That is when the work is going on.
They do not mind that. Will the Minister ensure the work is done as quickly as possible to get that service back on line?
Yes.
In the past, the condition of Westport station was often criticised. However, under the present station-master, Ann Elliot, it has won many awards for its beauty.
Flowers.
Such simple things do not cost a fortune and the transformation was accomplished by a woman.
We have a woman station-master in Athlone as well and she is brilliant.
That is right. She has enhanced the station, and I compliment her on that. The first impression rail travellers coming from Dublin or abroad have of a town is when they alight from the train. The station-master at Westport has certainly improved the station and has won many awards as a result. She is quite entitled to those awards because she has done an excellent job.
If there is any possibility of opening the line from Claremorris to Galway the Minister should do so. Galway is a university town and is also home to the regional hospital. Every week, thousands of people travel to Galway from Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo. If that railway line could be opened it would take thousands of cars off the road.
A dispute is currently going on between Iarnród Éireann and Coillte concerning the transport of timber from the west to Waterford. The Minister should investigate this matter with her colleague, the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Fahey, who has responsibility for Coillte. There is a row because Iarnród Éireann says it is not receiving enough money for the service, while Coillte says it is paying enough. The Minister should intervene to avoid a situation whereby big lorries will come to the west where there is already enough traffic on the roads. The rail structure is already in place so the Minister should intervene to bring both these semi-State companies together. Coillte should not be allowed to take timber from Mayo and Roscommon by road when a rail service is available. Such a development would have two knock-on effects: one would involve job losses and the other would put further pressure on a road infrastructure which is already carrying enough traffic. The Minister's Department is trying to take traffic off the road and encourage people to use trains. The Minister should intervene to bang heads together and make Coillte use the existing rail structure. It would not be right to allow an alternative system to develop using road transport to carry timber. I hope it does not happen.
Over the years, rail users in the west have had to use old, unheated train carriages. People pay good money to travel by rail yet they have not received a proper service. Now that we have proper rail tracks, the Minister should make funding available to upgrade carriages, thus encouraging people to avail of the service.
I do not use the train service simply because one cannot be assured of arriving in Dublin on time, and until such a punctual service is in place people will not use it. People use the Galway to Dublin service because they know it will arrive on time. In the meantime, they can have their lunch or tea on the train. Many people, however, do not use the rail service because they cannot depend on its punctuality. This is particularly the case for people with hospital appointments. Over the years people travelling by train have been late for such appointments and have missed out on medical treatment as a result. I hope that situation is now coming to an end. I would rather be positive than critical on the basis that something is happening to improve the rail service. The Minister must ensure, however, that improvements continue to occur. Improvements to the railways must not be drawn out, thus causing further frustration for passengers.
People involved in chambers of commerce in the west use the rail service regularly. They are rail enthusiasts and want the service to succeed, as I do. It does not matter whether Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil are in Government, because the taxpayers' money is being used. I hope the Luas system works and that it will take cars off the roads. That will be good for us all.
The Deputy should convey my good wishes to his uncle and thank him for his years of work with Irish Rail.
I will.
The Minister is all sweetness and light.
Acting Chairman (Mr. Kirk): It makes things easier up here, anyway.
I did not think of that.
I understand the desirability of the Bill, as such. I have used the train service often over the years and there is no doubt that there has been an improvement in it. I am worried, however, by people who want to use their cars irrespective of the obstacles they are likely to meet.
Yes.
Such is the psychology behind being cocooned in one's own new car that it will take a huge counter attraction to get them out of their vehicles, irrespective of what the alternative transport is. No matter what is being done in Dublin, we are losing that battle. The Minister is not the first to have lost this battle and I assume she will not be the last. Statistics show that the number of new cars coming on the roads are overwhelming us. No matter what route one takes out of Dublin, there are certain flash points where one will get caught in traffic jams. I have been commuting to Dublin for years and, on the occasions I brought the car, I did not see a problem in Moate until recently.
Now one can hardly get through it.
One cannot get through it. Having solved the traffic problems in Enfield, the bottleneck is now in Moate.
I will tell the Deputy about a good back road around Moate.
I know it. A huge problem has arisen because we did not take the railway seriously 25 years ago. That is a long time in planning terms but the railway was not taken seriously by anybody; it was regarded as the poor man's transport system. One went by train when one did not have any other way of going. The private bus owners who came on the scene 20 to 25 years ago with cut price fares, started to bring Iarnród Éireann into line so that tickets no longer cost an arm and a leg. While I have many good things to say about Iarnród Éireann, one of the company's biggest problems concerns public relations. The standard on the Galway-Dublin train is good but I am always travelling mid-week when the carriages are clean and not overcrowded, although sometimes they may be too old.
The PR image breaks down at weekends, however, when a younger generation is commuting home to the provinces. They experience a train service that is jammed, with no space to stand or walk. These young commuters form an opinion that will stay with them forever because they only use the trains when they are packed and uncomfortable. If, however, they used the trains midweek, as I do, they would admit it is a fine way of travelling. I do not know how Iarnród Éireann's management manages to run such packed trains, or if it is possible to overcome the problem when one cannot foresee how many people will be on the platform. Every weekend without exception, however, 52 weeks a year, Iarnród Éireann is caught out on capacity. I do not know what the Minister can do about that but if Iarnród Éireann's management has an eye to the future it should treat young commuters well. In that way, young people – the executives of tomorrow – will continue to use the train service instead of retaining a bad image of it. The Government is as much at fault as anyone else although it put more money into railways than anyone else. The point is, it had more money available. It just does not compare with the remarkable amounts of money being spent on roads.
My own city of Galway will have huge roadways coming into it within the next six years. We will be able to get from Ballinasloe or Tuam to within one or two miles of the city quicker than ever before and unless the planners take drastic action now on park-and-ride systems etc. we will create a problem we did not ever think we would have. We will have superimposed a serious Dublin problem on the city and the same will happen in all towns and cities with new access roads unless we plan systematically in tandem with the building of new roads.
This is where the railway system has a role. The matter may be parochial but it is hugely important in the context of the development of Galway city. We are in the happy position that there is already a rail track on a radius of about 12 miles around the city. Starting in Tuam it goes right up to Athenry and from there into Oranmore and then into the city. It is mostly unused but the track is there. There is no problem with landowners or no need for court cases.
There would be no compensation rates or anything.
No, there would be none of that. I have been a lone voice advocating for years that there is a case to be made for hefty investment in an area that will have a huge draw of investment into an ever expanding city. We should take an imaginative leap forward and make a type of Luas or DART out of this available railway line. Just imagine what it would achieve. There would be no problem in Tuam for space for park-and-ride. There would be no problem in Ballyglunin where "The Quiet Man" was filmed as there is an existing railway station and hundreds of acres that could be acquired and the new town of Oranmore would have no space problem. We could open a whole new infrastructure and have trains travelling on a half hourly basis.
Consultants have told me that the only reason it is not possible to go to feasibility stage is that the die has been cast with funding. Roads got the bulk of funding and in relation to extra expenditure the railway system remains the poor relation. I do not blame the Minister for this but when history is written it will show that the railways are still the poor relation. We are making a monumental mistake when we do not put thought and investment into railways because people are willing to travel by rail rather than subject themselves to the torture motorists have to face on the roads. Luas or no Luas, our traffic problems will not improve unless we invest in railways.
What state is that track in?
It is not too bad but would need upgrading.
(Wexford): I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill and I compliment the Minister on bringing it before the House. It proves her commitment to the railway infrastructure. Deputies on the other side of the House have commented that she is losing the battle but I feel she is just commencing in giving the railway struc ture the priority it deserves. For far too long it has been neglected.
I wish to talk particularly about the Dublin to Rosslare line. I have written many letters to the Minister who has passed them on to Mr. Joe Meagher, the managing director. His replies have not been to my satisfaction or to the satisfaction of the people of Wexford. There is an urgent need to upgrade the Dublin to Rosslare line. I have a particular affinity with CIE as my first job was in the freight station in Enniscorthy. That freight station which was once a hive of activity is now closed down. The question must be asked as to where CIE management has gone wrong. The freight section of CIE was vibrant, delivering cigarettes, clothes, drink etc. Just about everything was transported by CIE at the time. Unfortunately, that has changed and there is now talk of closing the last few freight sections around the country.
It is obvious with the expansion of Dublin that the likes of Gorey and Enniscorthy will become commuter towns. For example, 2,000 new houses have been built in Gorey in the past five years. While we have fast trains from Arklow into Dublin we find it difficult to get any priority in extending the service to Gorey, Enniscorthy and Wexford despite repeated requests to Mr. Meagher and other directors of Iarnród Éireann. This area should be looked at seriously because of the number of people involved. About 40% of the houses built in Gorey were purchased by people from Dublin. People are moving from the city because of congestion and transport problems. The rail line is there and there is an obvious opportunity to expand it. With little investment we could extend the services to these towns and encourage people to take the train rather than the car.
It is practically impossible to drive to Dublin from Wexford in any sort of a reasonable time. I was once able to travel to Dublin from Enniscorthy in one and a half hours. That was before the Bray and Arklow bypasses. It now takes three hours – an hour and a half to Loughlinstown and then another hour and a half to the Dáil. Some of the traffic management decisions in relation to travelling into Dublin need to be questioned. As a matter of urgency we need to try and put more people off the road and on to trains but we can only do that if we have fast trains into Dublin from rural towns. The train from Enniscorthy to Dublin takes from three to three and a half hours because of safety factors required on the line. I accept that the line is being upgraded and I am delighted that a significant number of young people from Enniscorthy and Gorey are employed on the work although there are rumours that they may be let go due to cutbacks. I urge the Minister to ensure that the line is upgraded and that no untold delays occur because of cutbacks or because of decisions taken by management in Iarnród Éireann.
I will have been in the Dáil for 20 years next year, and during those years I have argued with different Governments and Ministers about the line.
Debate adjourned.
Sitting suspended at 1.30 p.m. and resumed at 2.30 p.m.