It also has responsibility for public transport services such as buses and trains. Essentially, Transport 21 is concerned with public transport, that is, buses and trains, as well as major national routes. The map published with this plan shows that, unlike previous transport plans, this one deals with isolated areas in terms of national routes. For that reason, I particularly welcomed its inclusion of the coastal national secondary routes. I am sure Deputy McGinley will agree with me that for people living in Gweedore or on the N56, the inclusion of routes like the N56 and the N59, where people live 40 or 50 miles from national primary routes, was an essential ingredient if the transport plan was to benefit everyone.
The commitment in respect of the western rail corridor constitutes the biggest ever re-opening of a railway line undertaken in this country. It reverses the trends of years, particularly in the context of the west. Since the plan's publication, I have met representatives of Iarnród Éireann with regard to the preservation and clearing of the line from Claremorris to Collooney. Moreover, Iarnród Éireann has indicated to me that it is ready to get estimates for the cost of that work as quickly as possible, which is of vital importance for the future.
This plan puts rural transport for pensioners of the type to which the Deputy referred on a permanent basis and provides extra funding for this purpose in future. It is important to provide transport for pensioners and public transport, particularly buses as well as trains, must be upgraded. However, the population at large, young and old, travel on roads. Hence, having a good spinal system of roads is vital.
I take an integrated view. I have matched, euro for euro, money for roads from local improvement schemes, because some people use such roads to go from their houses to the next category of road. Similarly, I have invested extra funding from the CLÁR scheme into the next category of road, namely, class 3 roads. The Government has invested an unprecedented amount in regional roads throughout the country, which for many people is the next category of road. Thereafter, in many cases, one reaches a national secondary route. In that regard, there is a major commitment to a focused strategy on national secondary routes as part of Transport 21. To get to the main urban centres, most people rely on national primary routes. The Government is carrying out major work on the national primary routes to provide integrated improvements in transport and road services, as well as an equivalent improvement in rail services, during the period of the plan.