Vol. 483 No. 5
90 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the reason the Government's second national communication under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change states that options for the extension of the rail network do not exist. [20872/97]
The comments about the railway system in the communication to which the Deputy refers were made in the context of the contribution which it could make to the protection of the environment. The reference to extensions of the rail network is an indication that a substantial expansion of the mainline railway system is not a realistic option in this regard, given such factors as the extent of the existing rail network, the capital costs of new rail construction, and the diseconomies of rail operations in Ireland. It was never intended to rule out the possibility that cases might be made from time to time for local rail extension projects in particular circumstances. The reference in the communication to the current EU-assisted investment programme in the existing mainline rail network involving expenditure of more than £275 million in the period from 1994-99 underlines the Government's commitment to the railway system.
