Vol. 571 No. 1
1061 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Transport if he will grant the necessary funding for the provision of a feasibility study to be carried out on the Sligo to Limerick railway line; when the funds will be put in place; the amount of money to be granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20354/03]
The strategic rail review, SRR, provides the Government with a policy framework for the future development of rail passenger and rail freight sectors in Ireland. In the course of the review proposals were received for the development of a rail link from Sligo to Cork via Limerick. The proposal was evaluated in the review and while it noted that this particular route complements the objectives of the national spatial strategy, the financial and economic appraisals were such that it was not included in the recommended investment strategy. The review found that a separate detailed evaluation of the western rail corridor, with due consideration for its full range of potential and complementary land use and settlement policies, would need to be examined rigorously to ensure that the scheme or any element of it satisfies rail viability requirements in terms of patronage and revenue generation.
Recognising that the western rail corridor fits in well with the aims of the national spatial strategy, I provided the relevant regional authorities in the west with consultancy advice to ensure that they are fully aware of the necessary prerequisites that would need to be put in place before a rail feasibility study could be commissioned on the western rail corridor.
Earlier this month, officials from my Department organised a seminar in Athlone together with the review's consultants to outline to the regional authorities in the border, west, mid-west and south-west areas the context in which the western rail corridor was considered within the overall strategic rail review. The seminar also dealt with the land use and settlement issues that would be critical to such a proposal.
The seminar was timely, as the regional authorities are currently in the process of drawing up planning guidelines for their regions. Therefore, the seminar was an opportunity for the western rail proposal to be discussed within the context of the regional planning guidelines. The seminar has been followed by direct one-to-one discussions between the consultants and each of the regional authorities. A similar seminar is being arranged for the western development commission.
While it is entirely a matter for the regional authorities to consider the potential for rail developments such as the western rail corridor in their upcoming planning guidelines, I would have to stress that such proposals must be supported by land use and settlement strategies that would underpin and support the rail proposals if they are to have any chance of success.
Question No. 1062 answered with Question No. 1026.
