Vol. 516 No. 6
190 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Public Enterprise her views on the recent IRMS report, A Review of Rail Safety in Ireland - Implementation Review, as it specifically relates to the Maynooth suburban line; the actions, if any, she will take in relation to the continuing unreasonable safety issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9100/00]
The implementation review was published on 7 March last. On the same day, but prior to the publication, I met the managing director of Iarnród Éireann and his senior management team to express my serious concerns about elements of the report's findings. I made it clear during the course of the meeting that I found it unacceptable that the unreasonable risks identified in the original 1998 report had not yet been fully resolved.
Follow up meetings between my Department, Iarnród Éireann and IRMS have already taken place to identify the actions that are required to address these and other issues raised in the IRMS report. Arising from these meetings, Iarnród Éireann is now in the process of preparing a paper outlining its response to the unreasonable risks which remain to be fully resolved, including those on the Maynooth suburban line. This paper, which I expect to receive shortly, will be considered by my Department and IRMS with a view to agreeing a process for dealing with them in a manner that is acceptable to IRMS.
