Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 19 Jan 2023

Everyone in the House wants to encourage more people onto public transport. That is a commitment of the Minister and of the Government. Unfortunately, many people are deterred from going onto public transport, particularly at night time, because they do not feel safe. Have there been any discussions between the Minister’s Department and the transport providers on improving safety? I heard what the Minister said to Deputy O’Rourke about the NTA's antisocial behaviour specialist group but what is the Department doing in respect of it?

I will not reiterate the written response because it would be similar to the response I gave to Deputy O’Rourke. The role of my Department, as the Minister of State mentioned on another issue, is working with the NTA and operators. We meet them regularly. If there is an issue with security, reliability, getting workers or other things, while we do not run the bus service or train system, our aim is to make sure they deliver for the public the quality of service we expect.

The first principle is that people have to feel that they are secure and that they are in a safe place. Where there are problems, they are in specific localities or black spots. By and large, the vast majority of experience on our public transport system is safe, as people would attest. Where it is not, it is a matter not just for the Government. Local representatives have a critical role because they have knowledge and experience of what is happening and represent the local community best. For them to work with the operators and An Garda Síochána directly is the best approach.

What is happening in west Tallaght is totally unacceptable but the resolution to that provides a model that would apply elsewhere. It involves the application of Garda resources in conjunction with the operators, as well as the use of CCTV and other mechanisms. You cannot completely rely on that. CCTV does not protect the driver in the instant. He or she has to have the capability of calling in resources quickly. Our role is to make sure the resources are available. The Minister for Justice is also critical. The Department for Transport has responsibility. That is what we are doing. Communication of the public concern is the first stage.

I thank the Minister for his reply. It is worthwhile that we are discussing this important issue. I agree with him that obviously not all public transport has the threat of criminal activity or antisocial behaviour on it but unfortunately many members of the public are concerned about it.

Last summer, my Fianna Fáil colleagues in Dublin and I did a survey of public transport users. There was a significant response. Over 1,300 people replied. Significantly, nearly 90% of them had experienced or seen antisocial behaviour on public transport. Many of them were supportive of there being a dedicated public transport unit within An Garda Síochána. That is where this policy debate is heading. Nobody thinks all these issues can be resolved immediately but we need to recognise the requirement for a unit within An Garda Síochána to be available to police public transport. It is not the Minister’s bailiwick but does he have an opinion on whether that would be beneficial?

I am slightly nervous because, as the Deputy said, it is an issue for the Minister for Justice and An Garda Síochána. The Deputy is right. I said to Deputy O’Rourke earlier that there is an argument in favour of establishing a unit outside An Garda Síochána, but I do not think that would be appropriate or correct. I recently visited the new control centre in Heuston Station, where the Garda response control unit is cheek by jowl with the rail control centre. That closeness, connection and speed of response is an advantage of using An Garda Síochána, as well as all the powers it has under law. The Garda has other units. The transport department unit is a similar example of a dedicated unit. That should be considered. The justice committee might be well placed to do it and I would happily give my views there. I would not rule it out. I would be supportive but it is a matter for the Minister for Justice to consider first and foremost.

The UK has a separate transport police. I agree with the Minister that it is not a good idea for this country. It would create tensions for An Garda Síochána and the country is not large enough to have a separate independent police force for public transport. However, we need to look for a dedicated unit within An Garda Síochána. This is primarily a matter for the Government and the Minister for Justice. We have a recruitment crisis in An Garda Síochána and I understand why the Commissioner may be hesitant about committing to the establishment of another unit when he has many other demands on resources, but we need to recognise that to see the level of engagement and use of public transport that the Minister and everyone else in the House wants, we have to assure people that when they use it, particularly late at night or on routes some consider dangerous, they will be safe. Unless there is safety for users of public transport, we will not get the increase in usage of it.

I agree with the Deputy. We want to get people onto public transport for so many different reasons and making sure there is a safe environment is critical to that. This is happening. I was on the radio this morning and I mentioned some figures I saw yesterday. I think 80,000 young people have taken up the leap cards and new travel cards. They are taking off.

On the issue of public transport numbers, I met with an international expert on transport who said that what is happening in Ireland is unusual and outside the norm. Most other countries have not seen the scale of return to public transport that we have done post-Covid-19. The public is, therefore, responding. Some 67 towns have new public transport services. New Local Link and Connecting Ireland services have been rolled out across the country. There has been a major expansion in public transport. We want it to be used and it has to be safe. In any discussion on that, those arguments would make the case for the type of unit within An Garda Síochána to which the Deputy refers. We could go into virtuous circle. The more people who are on the public transport system, the safer it will feel. That is where we want to go. Policing is a critical part of this, but that part of the question needs to be directed towards the Minister for Justice and that Department.

The Deputy will be aware that the RSA has statutory responsibility for the operational aspects of national driver's test, including test applications and scheduling matters. I would first like to address the broader issue of driver testing delays, which is a problem across the State and has been raised by a number of Deputies. The current national average waiting time for an invitation to a test is 19 weeks, which is far above the service level agreement, SLA, of ten weeks. This is reflective of demand on driver testing services which is up by 28% on 2021 figures and is up 27% on 2018 pre-Covid-19 pandemic figures.

I am informed that the current increase in demand for driving tests and the time to an invitation for learner drivers have a number of contributing factors. These include an increase in learner permits in circulation, which has grown by approximately 30% since the third quarter of 2019; increased capacity in the driver theory test when the service resumed post-Covid-19 pandemic; and an increase in advanced driving instructors capacity to deliver lessons to learner drivers, which has increased the number of learners becoming eligible and ready to take their test.

I assure the Deputy that the RSA is making every effort to manage these demand pressures. The authority conducted a review of the current and evolving needs of the driver testing service in 2022, following which the Department of Transport sanctioned an increase in the permanent driver tester headcount from 100 to 130. I am informed that the RSA is currently deploying a number of successful candidates across the driver testing service, with a focus on geographical areas with the longest waiting lists. It is expected that the remainder will be deployed by the first quarter of 2023. However, I acknowledge there is further work to be done to provide the driver testing services that each customer deserves and that the RSA is committed to delivering.

I have been assured by the RSA that it is keeping this situation under constant review and the authority will report back to my Department on the steps being taken to continue to reduce waiting times. If sanction requests for further increases in driver testers are received, we will evaluate them promptly.

This is a real problem, particularly for young people in rural parts of County Clare. A large number of people get in touch with me and I subsequently get in touch with the RSA. Some have been waiting for six months to get a test and it is just not good enough. The target timeframe is ten weeks but the figures show that people are waiting 19 weeks to get an invitation. I can give many examples of where a test date is nearly due and then the appointment is put back by another month or two. It is not good enough.

The Minister of State said that the RSA is making every effort, but what effort is it making because this situation is getting worse? This issue stems back to the fact that last year a cohort of 32 trained driver instructors who were employed on a temporary basis were not made permanent. We have a growing population and we have only 130 testers now.

I accept that the current service that is being delivered does not meet what the public expects. People are waiting 19 or 20 weeks or even more in certain cases and that is not an acceptable public service. If we are being honest, the service level agreement of ten weeks needs to be examined as well. For me as Minister of State, even ten weeks is too long as I am concerned. There is constant engagement with the RSA on this. There has been an increase in the permanent headcount from 100 to 130. I met with my officials on this yesterday.

Building capacity is important from a road safety perspective. The new road safety strategy is called “Vision Zero”. We have to ensure that the driver testing system can be accessed in a timely manner and the ongoing delays are causing frustration for people. Since I entered the role it has been something I want to remedy and bring solutions to. I assure the Deputy that every effort will be made to try to build capacity within the testing system to improve the current position.

I thank the Minister of State and I welcome his interest in trying to bring about a resolution. Every effort must be made. He has to set out a timeline to achieve those target waiting periods of ten weeks. I am encouraged by his comment that even that is not acceptable and that it needs to be reviewed. We need testers in place to reduce the number of people who are waiting. There is a particular issue on the west coast, particularly in County Clare, regarding the availability of testers to carry out the tests. The waiting periods there are longer and that is why I have asked for the numbers that are waiting in each test area, as well as for the numbers of testers who have been allocated to each test centre.

In the Minister of State’s initial reply, he stated that the RSA will redeploy to areas where there are longer waiting lists. If he has those figures for County Clare, he might outline them.

I have them and it is a mixed picture - in Kilrush, it is 15 weeks; Ennis, 20 weeks; and Shannon, 35 weeks, which is completely unacceptable. The 30 permanent drivers that have been recruited are being deployed to the areas where people are waiting for the longest. The focus of the RSA and its operational plan is on those who have been waiting for the longest. All of County Clare is beyond the service level agreement time, but those in Shannon and Ennis in particular are waiting far in excess of what they should be. I will reflect the Deputy’s feedback to the RSA, which is deploying additional capacity in those areas where people are waiting longest. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to ask the Minister for Transport if he can provide an update on the proposed N4 upgrade bypass works for Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim, and for the eastern Garavogue bridge scheme in Sligo town. These are two key pieces of infrastructure that would provide a much better connection with Sligo, the north west and Dublin and would provide similar connectivity to what Galway, Cork and Limerick have, reducing the current regional imbalance that has been well documented in recent reports.

These two schemes are distinct from each other, as one is a national road and the other is a local road. I will, therefore, update separately on each scheme.

The N4 is the national primary road between Dublin and Sligo and it connects to both the N5 to Westport and the N6 to Galway and Athlone, forming a strategic corridor to the north west. The proposed upgrade aims to address congestion issues in Carrick-on-Shannon and to improve a section of the N4 route between Drumharlow townland in County Roscommon, which is north of Carrick-on-Shannon, and Faulties townland, which is south of Aghamore in County Leitrim.

The scheme’s route option selection phase is nearing completion, with the preferred transport solution having been announced. This was displayed publicly in May and June last year. The preferred transport solution is available to view in detail at the scheme website. Following the completion of the route selection, the design and environmental evaluation phase will develop the project design further to allow for progression through the necessary statutory processes.

With regard to the eastern Garavogue bridge in Sligo my Department, together with the urban regeneration and development fund, has been providing grant funding for this scheme. The project will support urban regeneration in Sligo by improving community links, facilitating reduced journey times for walkers, cyclists and vehicles between the north and south sides of the River Garavogue on the eastern side of the city and improving access to facilities on opposite sides of the river.

The scheme was approved by An Bord Pleanála in 2009, but funding constraints as a result of the economic and financial crisis delayed detailed design and construction. The scheme is included in the national development plan and is now at the point where the detailed design needs to be completed and construction contract documents finalised. I am aware, however, that judicial review proceedings have been initiated regarding the scheme. I understand mediation may help us resolve some of those issues and I hope that will be successful in order that the project can be completed.

I thank the Minister. As he said, the eastern Garavogue bridge is part of the National Development Plan 2018-2027 and is a key to the development of Sligo in that it will link communities and facilitate development within Sligo town, not least the east ward. Much good work has been done in respect of traffic management on Hughes Bridge, which has alleviated traffic congestion, while the Collooney to Castlebaldwin road has been open for more than one year. When I drive from Castlebaldwin into Collooney, I get a great feeling because I see that we are progressing with modern transport systems. The Carrick-on-Shannon bypass is an issue for people travelling from Sligo. I acknowledge the Minister visits the region quite frequently. The main benefits for Sligo residents and the wider community will include much-reduced journey times for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles between the north and south sides of the River Garavogue in the eastern quadrant.

I look forward to visiting Sligo again. I have been trying to get out there. I am visiting Westmeath County Council tomorrow and I look forward to visiting the county councils in both Sligo and Leitrim to talk to them about the climate action plan we have to deliver together. I am looking forward to visiting Sligo in particular because one of the most interesting pathfinder projects in our Department involves transformative plans for the centre of Sligo town, connecting it to the university and the hospital.

On the wider issue of the roads programme, we have a limited budget. Even though there is €35 billion within the NDP, more than €70 billion worth of projects are in development, with more added every day. Moreover, we have to take account of inflation in the construction industry. We have to prioritise. I have been saying clearly that we should prioritise bypasses on the roads programme such that we will support our town centre first policy of compact development, and projects such as that in Carrick-on-Shannon tick that box. It would be transformative for the town, bringing life and housing back into the centre. We need to prioritise that sort of project in the roads programme.

Something is happening in Sligo and the wider north west, including Carrick-on-Shannon. Since Covid and Brexit, many people have moved there and, with the Atlantic Technological University, the eastern Garavogue bridge would connect the two areas of that river between the three colleges, the university, the hospital and the business park. It is vital. The bridge in Carrick-on-Shannon was built in 1846 and a new bypass has been selected. A new bridge would help Carrick-on-Shannon to breathe but also allow traffic to get from Dublin to the north west. On a map of Ireland, there are motorways from Dublin to Belfast and to Galway, but in between there are anomalies and we need to address them as quickly as possible.

The Minister would be very welcome to visit Sligo. He might even go to Strandhill and do a bit of surfing.

I might take the Deputy up on that offer. We can go surfing together in Strandhill.

The national planning framework gives us the way forward. We need better balanced regional development. There is excess development on the east coast, especially in the greater Dublin area, and we need areas such as Sligo, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick to grow as a counterbalance to that. The best way for Sligo to grow is for it to switch and promote sustainable mobility in order that there will be a high-quality local environment such that the town will work. I look forward to seeing what we can do to make that happen.

In towns such as Carrick-on-Shannon, there is a fundamental choice. These are incredible 19th century market towns, or older in many instances, and restoring them and bringing life back into their centres would be one way of tackling our housing crisis as well as helping us to meet our environmental targets. The best way of doing that will involve removing as much traffic as possible in order that life can be brought back in. The towns that do that, whether Carrick-on-Shannon or elsewhere, will thrive.

I contacted Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in respect of the matter raised by the Deputy and its representatives informed me that eFlow appreciates customers may run into difficulties when paying their tolls and strives to assist customers in resolving these matters. To this end, eFlow has a dedicated resolution team within its operation, which engages with customers who are experiencing difficulties paying the tolls and penalties. It actively engages with customers who have fallen into arrears on their payments or become subject to enforcement procedures. This team can assist customers in developing and agreeing an acceptable payment plan to resolve their outstanding debt.

Where cases escalate to eFlow’s legal enforcement service provider, the process becomes more serious and legal proceedings may be issued if the eFlow customer fails to engage. When a customer engages with eFlow and an acceptable payment plan is agreed, eFlow has systems and processes in place to ensure penalties will not escalate on historical or future transactions while the payment plan is being adhered to and provided that payments are being allocated in line with the agreement.

The key to all this is communication and as such it is vital for the customer to engage with eFlow, given that where people do not make contact or engage, any payment will be allocated to the oldest outstanding sum. If the customer continues to use the road without contacting or reaching an agreement with eFlow, the charges will continue to accumulate for outstanding journeys. With regard to non-payment, the registered owner of a vehicle will be notified via correspondence regarding any outstanding journey that escalates to the next stage in the enforcement process. In each letter of correspondence, the customer will be advised to contact eFlow.

That sounds lovely, but a constituent of mine and the Minister of State got into trouble financially. He pays €2,000 in rent and, despite working 50 to 60 hours a week, is struggling to pay his bills. He contacted eFlow about his toll bill, which amounted to €240, offering to pay €80 every week over a period of three weeks. The company agreed but stated that by the end of that term, the bill would have increased to more than €1,000. That does not tally with the information eFlow gave to the Minister.

A toll of €3.50 increases after 14 days to €46.50. After 56 days, an additional €116.50 is charged, bringing the total to €163. We brought in legislation to prevent moneylenders doing similar; we need to ensure eFlow will not do it either. Does the Minister consider these penalties proportionate?

What the Deputy described, where somebody who owed €240 to eFlow contacted the company and agreed a graduated payment but nonetheless ended up with a €1,000 charge due to enhanced fines or other interest costs, seems unacceptable, although I do not have all the details. That would not encourage people to do what my prepared reply recommended, whereby customers in such a position should ensure they contact the company. The Deputy might convey further details on the case to me or the Minister of State, given if it is a constituent of his I am sure he will be equally interested, because it does not seem that would encourage public support.

With regard to the issue of fines escalating because of non-payment, I fully understand the Deputy's case that the fines are significant. I imagine the company would argue in defence that it needs some mechanism to ensure people will pay. Personally, whenever I use the M50, I try to ensure I pay the toll promptly, given I am aware there can be a significant escalation. Nevertheless, that is different from what the Deputy cited in the first instance, which sounds like an anomaly, if it was allowed to happen in that way.

I think we all agree that the fines and penalties are excessive and disproportionate. What people do not know, as the Minister alluded to in his original answer, is that if motorists receive a penalty of, for example, €46, and they pay the toll on a given day, eFlow will take the payment for that day and use it against the €46 penalty. The company will not tell them it has done that. Then, eFlow will fine them an extra €46 for that day, on which they believe they have paid the toll. This system needs to be examined and changed. I agree that if motorists do not pay their toll, there needs to be a penalty but these penalties are extortionate. Legislation was brought in to prevent people being ripped off by excessive rates charged by moneylenders. This is similar and this area of tolls and penalties needs to be revisited.

I agree. If there is an instance where, as the Deputy said, somebody is paying for a toll but has a backlogged fine and the payment does not go towards the toll but towards the backlog and they then get a further fine because they have not paid that toll, it seems so me that there is perhaps a communications issue in that situation in terms of it not being transparent or clear that people have to clear their backlog, otherwise they can get into further difficulty, which is unsatisfactory. I will ask my Department to examine the specifics of the communications around that. It is not appropriate that someone inadvertently builds even further fines.

Under this Government, with Green Party involvement, there has been investment in public transport and rural public transport in particular, the likes of which has not been seen previously but much of the burden for implementing the Connecting Ireland plan, which is pivotal to providing rural public transport, is falling on Local Link services. Will the Minister outline his engagement with Local Link operators in the context of their increasing role in providing rural public transport under Connecting Ireland?

We are committed to improving public transport in rural and urban areas across the country. A key deliverable among the policies we have put in place is the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan. TFI Local Link services are responsible for the vast majority of new routes under Connecting Ireland. The latest figures from October last year show Local Link delivered 17 of the 25 new and enhanced services. They, therefore, have a leading role in delivering that policy commitment. In the context of their central role, I met with Local Link representatives in December to discuss the future development of the services.

Connecting Ireland aims to provide better connections between villages and towns by linking them with an enhanced regional network connecting cities and regional centres nationwide. This will be achieved by expanding Local Link services and prioritising public transport projects that enhance connectivity. To this end, I have secured increased funding for public transport in rural Ireland to improve services across the country. In addition, I have sought to ensure that our key policy statements, such as the climate action plan and the sustainable mobility policy, recognise the importance of public transport in rural Ireland and set challenging targets to ensure continued improvement in the years ahead.

The NTA is also responsible for delivering the roll-out of Connecting Ireland by procuring the provision of TFI Local Link and Connecting Ireland services, including with individual public transport commercial operators. The wider project will be achieved through a dedicated professional team of network planners, procurement specialists, contract managers and marketing professionals. In implementing these services, NTA works collaboratively with the Local Link team across each of the 15 Local Link offices, with Bus Éireann, which is operating a significant number of the new or enhanced services and with commercial operators that are also providing public transport services in rural Ireland.

I thank the Minister. I am glad he has been engaging with them, but I am not sure the answer goes to the crux of the issue. He has had an invitation to go to County Sligo to go surfing; he can come to County Waterford and go surfing as well but I will make him check in with the Local Link operator there if he does. County Waterford provides probably one of the best Local Link services in the country. From my town, Tramore, people can access Dungarvan on one service, and they can get to Dunmore East on another. From Dungarvan, fantastic services serve the Gaeltacht communities, which go through Cappoquin, Lismore and Tallow, for example. We are getting close to an every village, every hour service, particularly on the Cappoquin route. I am hearing that while the Local Link operators are taking up a huge amount of the slack and making a huge expansion to their services, they are not necessarily getting the support they need. They are not necessarily being heard by the NTA in the correct or collaborative way the Minister spoke about regarding route planning. Do they need to be more resourced? Do they need to be more supported in the roll-out of these services?

I am very supportive of the NTA and the work it has done on this matter. It has had a central role in designing, promoting and pushing the new Connecting Ireland system. It has been given additional staff resources in the past two years so it can scale up. I agree that the Local Links are the right vehicle. They are community-based and distributed across 15 centres in a network with operations throughout the country with very good local knowledge. In the meeting I had with Local Link representatives in December, the key focus of the discussion was the corporate and governance arrangements and resourcing for them to be able to take, as the Deputy described it, the "burden". This is a huge opportunity for Local Link. This is a transformative moment and it is in the integration with the health transport system as well. We should also look at integration with the education transport system in this way, as well as these new PSO-type services. The response from the public, particularly younger people, has been phenomenal. People are using these services. We need to go further with better marketing of the services, we need bus stops and we need much better timetabling, which require resources for the Local Link operators so they can scale up to the opportunity. It is an opportunity more than a burden.

It can be phrased both ways as a burden and an opportunity, which it certainly is. There is an administrative burden and many people are being asked to do a lot of extra work. It needs support and resourcing. They are the correct vehicle - forgive the pun - for delivering this. Uptake has been excellent. The Lismore-Cappoquin-Dungarvan route provides an hourly service, which is well used. Many people are on that service every day and have a personal relationship with the bus driver. It is tackling rural transport issues but also social isolation issues. It is about putting in the investment. The bus stop issue is totemic and great headway could be made on it in short order. It comes up again and again when talking to Local Link operators. A bit of concrete and a pole are needed, at the very least, to let people know a rural transport service passes through their villages and towns. It could be rolled out in short order and it would be a boost to the service and its visibility.

I agree on the bus stop issue. As the Deputy will recall, we were in Ennistymon recently and I decided to use one of the local services. I did not know where it stopped, which was confusing. There could have been better information online about the timetable and the route. I agree with the Deputy. This is starting to work but this could work even better. In many instances it would be great to have a bus stop with a shelter but that is a much more expensive and difficult operation. In some instances, it could be a plaque on a wall. That is needed as part of the new network we are rolling out as part of Connecting Ireland. It needs advertising, better organisation and a promotional campaign in order that everyone knows there is a significant expansion in rural public transport services. NTA is the key organisation managing and rolling it out, but local authorities are also involved. We must be careful that is does not become cumbersome. Everyone in this Chamber will know, as former councillors, sometimes getting a bus stop can cost a fortune and take years. We need to be quick. It needs to be simple, agile and low cost. We need the stop infrastructure and the advertising infrastructure for the new services.

Last weekend, again, local sub-aqua clubs were out on a search and recovery mission in my constituency, Roscommon-Galway. Sadly, this is far too common. Families need closure. Without remains, they can never have that. Volunteers are going out in horrendous weather doing vital work, not only without financial assistance, but paying the operational costs out of their own pockets. It is not good enough.

The Deputy is probably aware that voluntary search and rescue groups, such as those referred to by him, do not come under the aegis of the Department of Transport. However, I can confirm that the Department does provide an annual maintenance grant to support the search and rescue activities of voluntary search groups involved in mountain and cave rescue and community rescue boats. The grant, formally entitled the "coastal and inshore, mountain and cave rescue grant current", provides for grant aid to current expenditure for Mountain Rescue Ireland, MRI, mountain rescue teams and the Irish Cave Rescue Organisation, ICRO. There are ten mountain rescue teams, all of which are constituent members of MRI. They respond to requests for emergency assistance in upland and mountainous areas of Ireland. The Search and Rescue Dogs Association is also a member of MRI. ICRO is the body responsible for cave and abandoned mine rescues within the island of Ireland and works closely with MRI. The assistance of MRI and ICRO in a search and rescue task is provided at the request of An Garda Síochána. The grant also provides funding to Community Rescue Boats Ireland, CRBI, which constitutes the "coastal and inshore" part of the grant's title. CRBI is a nationwide group of independent voluntary rescue boats, which are trained and administered by Water Safety Ireland. It is a declared resource and is available to the Coast Guard to respond to emergencies in its area of responsibility. CRBI units operate entirely independently of mountain rescue units and are, in practice, a different funding stream.

The grant allocation arrangement underwent a significant review in 2019 and an increase in funding to those teams was provided on foot of this review. Voluntary search groups also receive occasional funding from other Government sources, including the Department of Rural and Community Development, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and local authorities. Water Safety Ireland implements a VAT exemption scheme applicable to independent maritime search organisations.

The Department covers search and rescue and search and recovery in the offshore by the Coast Guard, on mountains and in caves and the inshore, but when it comes to the inland waterways, the Minister washes his hands of it and tells us it is someone else's problem.

The Minister of State may recall the previous Minister who was in charge of sport. He could give funding to subaqua clubs, but only for sporting activity, not for search and recovery. The reality is that the only Minister who has given any support whatsoever to subaqua clubs in this country was Noel Dempsey, who was Minister for the environment years ago, when he waived the motor tax on search and recovery vehicles at my request. Nothing else has ever been provided by the State to a service and to organisations that are providing such vital supports across this country.

There have been grants to a number of rescue teams. I have a list of them here. I appreciate the feedback the Deputy has given. I will engage with my colleagues across the Government, perhaps the Minister for Rural and Community Development or the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport, Gaeltacht and Media, on this issue. They provide a vital community service, as Deputy Naughten has referenced. I will reflect on what he has outlined and engage with colleagues. I will also reflect on what happened previously under the Minister, Noel Dempsey.

I thank the Minister of State for his response, which is very positive. It is the first response of its type that I have received in this House on subaqua clubs in more than 15 years. The point I make is that they provide a vital service. Sadly, every single community in this country has been impacted by suicide. People stand by the edge of a lake, canal or river waiting for the remains to be recovered. We had a tragic situation in the midlands some years ago where it took weeks for bodies to be recovered. These volunteers are doing this out of their own pocket. They are funding the cost of it, not just in terms of lost time but also the fuel going into the craft carrying out the search and recovery and we need to give them some acknowledgement. I thank the Minister of State for his response this morning.

I hear what Deputy Naughten says. When tragic circumstances occur, we have volunteers that front up and provide assistance to families. The State cannot abandon volunteers and groups. I will engage with my colleagues across the Government on this. As I referenced at the outset, some of these groups do not specifically come under the Department, but that means nothing to them; they want to know what the broader State is doing. They provide a vital service. I will engage on the issue with my colleagues, and I will also reflect on what was done to support them previously.

The Minister will be well aware of the deficiency in public transport in the north west. There has been a chronic underinvestment in public transport in the region, which is a persistent problem. Its impact has been laid bare during the cost-of-living crisis. Households in the north west are bearing the brunt of the increase in private transport costs because of the lack of reliable and available public transport. I ask the Minister to outline his view and that of the Department on the need to provide rail infrastructure in the north west, in particular in the context of the all-island rail review.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 13, 23 and 70 together.

As the Deputies are aware, the strategic rail review is being undertaken in co-operation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. The results of the review will inform the development of the railway sector on the island of Ireland over the coming decades. A draft report is currently being finalised by the consultants for submission to the Departments. The finalised draft report will then be submitted for approval to both Ministers and ultimately the Government and the Executive. Once these necessary approvals have been secured, I will obviously then publish the report.

As Deputies are aware, the strategic rail review is considering the future of the rail network with regard to the following ambitions: improving sustainable connectivity between the major cities, including the potential for higher and high-speed, enhancing regional accessibility, supporting balanced regional development and rail connectivity to our international gateways. This also includes the role of rail freight.

The review is considering the scope for improved rail services and infrastructure along the various existing, or potential future, corridors of the network including disused and closed lines. The review has been informed by a public consultation process which concluded last year, and which received a great response both North and South. The Government has previously stated its belief in the potential of rail. It is important that we address constraints in the rail sector and pursue a strategy that allows rail to fulfil its potential as a sustainable mode of transport as we move to decarbonise the transport sector, as well as meeting rural connectivity objectives and as a generator of prosperity for people across Ireland.

The strategic rail review will assist in and inform that, and I look forward to its completion. It is the first all-island review of the network since the foundation of the State and will provide a framework to develop a much-improved rail network in the decades ahead.

The Minister knows that partition contributed to a large-scale closure of services North and South, on both sides of the Border, in particular in the north west. Now we only have a single eastern-based North-South rail corridor on the island. This imbalance is further laid bare by the fact that of the 54 stations in the Northern Six Counties, only three are situated west of the Bann. In Donegal, the situation is far more dire. Rail is simply not an option in Donegal with direct consequences, as the Minister knows, in terms of the social and economic life of the county. We hope that the steering group will seek to provide recommendations to address this acute regional imbalance and that the reviewers also examine proposals that we have submitted to bring forward recommendations relating to directly connecting Dublin to Derry and, by extension, to Donegal. Derry is the fourth largest city on the island of Ireland. The fact that it is not directly connected to Dublin is a major issue. This would go to the heart of addressing the imbalance.

The Minister is a frequent visitor to Donegal. Does he believe that we need a direct rail connection between the capital city and the north-west region?

Counties like Galway, Mayo and Sligo are home to more than 500,000 people and linking these three counties directly via rail would make an enormous difference in terms of connectivity to the west, while connecting them to the south would go a long way towards tackling regional imbalance. We can create a strong rail link between the west and south, and that can only benefit industry, commuters and the economy as a whole. A very positive opportunity is presenting itself with the westward extension of the Foynes to Limerick line, just as we are doing with DART+ and the new stations in Waterford, Oranmore and Moyross.

We cannot continue to delay the publication of the all-Ireland strategic review. Given the deep-rooted insecurities, along with the Northern Ireland Executive not being established, we need to see progress in this area.

We all accept the absolute necessity of an all-island rail review and the fact that partition has had a huge impact. We have all seen the maps of Ireland where on the western coast there is nothing in terms of any level of rail connectivity. This obviously relates not only to partition but planning failures over many years.

Alongside this, whether I was canvassing in Armagh where people discussed the lack of rail service there or my home town, Dundalk, we welcome the fact that the Enterprise service is to be scaled up. We are somewhat worried about the timeline. Obviously, sooner is always better. It is a matter of moving to electrification and ensuring we have a Dublin to Belfast service that is at least hourly. The quicker that happens, the better. There are multiple other issues that all need to be addressed.

To answer Deputy Doherty's question, we should look at returning rail connectivity to Donegal and improving it to the north west. This will not be cheap. I had a series of meetings with ARUP and the UK rail transport expert who was asked by the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson to examine some large projects.

I thought providing access to Donegal would see the development of the existing line on the north Antrim coast. In those discussions, what started to come into view was the possibility of a spur from Portadown through Dungannon, Omagh and Strabane. An historical connection involving Monaghan took that route. The line would have to have a spur to Letterkenny in order to ensure a connection to Donegal. It would be transformative for the relationship between Letterkenny and Derry, as well as Strabane, Omagh and Dungannon. It would be of huge benefit to the island and would improve island connectivity.

It would be very expensive because we would need to build a new line even though there is an existing line, which the Deputy knows from driving up and down the road. The UK Government would be the key funders of such a line, but in terms of the strategic long-term development of the island it has huge potential and I look forward to seeing what the final conclusions are. Yesterday, I asked for a copy of the latest draft report to see how detailed or specific the idea that is being advanced is. In my mind, it is the right strategic view in terms of where rail could return in importance to our island and would be transformative, in particular in providing access to the north west.

A report started looking at high-speed connectivity between Belfast, Dublin and Cork. There was then a political commitment to look further to the north west and other parts of the island. That search, looking to the north west, has drawn the possibility of that route. It would be transformative for the towns, counties and country that it would run through.

In response to Deputy Dillon, when we start thinking strategically about our national rail network, we have existing lines that are hardly used. One such line is the Waterford to Limerick line. Lord knows how many billions it would cost to build if we had to build it today. We face a strategic question of whether we abandon it. In my mind, the answer is "No". We need to extend it, something which is happening in terms of the services from Limerick to Ennis and Athenry. The section between Athenry and Claremorris is not just about those two counties. Rather, it is part of a longer route from Ballina and Westport through Claremorris down to Waterford and Wexford. The western rail corridor is not just a small section between Athenry and Claremorris; it comprises an entire route. In that context, it starts to make sense.

I welcome the commitment of the Minister. I am particularly conscious that he is the Minister who has responsibility for this important area. We all await the outcome of the all-island strategic review. There are many views on how we connect the north west. That is probably a discussion for another day, but it is the principle we have to have first.

I remember meeting the European Commissioner for Transport about 15 years ago, long before I was elected to Dáil Éireann. I showed him a map of Ireland. He pointed to the north west on the map and asked whether it was a barren area because there were no rail lines or motorways. Unfortunately, there is still no motorway or dual carriageway.

Obviously, there are different views on how to connect the region. The Navan rail line could be connected to Derry with a spur to Letterkenny. The key point is that the north west has to be connected. It is not just about rail infrastructure; it is also about prosperity. This year, we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. We will talk about a quarter of a century of peace. However, there was also a commitment on prosperity. Donegal, the north west and Strabane comprise one of the most deprived areas on the island of Ireland. This infrastructure can change things. It will be a social good and can also do good in terms of the environment while, crucially, lifting prosperity for people living in the region.

I welcome the Minister's positive comments. This week, Cabinet approval was granted for a €750 million project on the Navan rail line as part of the greater Dublin area transport plan, while the western rail corridor still sits in an unpublished rail review report. Reopening the Athenry-Claremorris line should proceed in advance of the rail review. We cannot wait for the Northern Ireland Government to sort itself out. It may never sort itself out. It is inconceivable that the Government sees itself as being prevented from acting in the interests of the people of the west of Ireland by the DUP.

Precedent exists in terms of the extension of the Foynes line. Athenry and Claremorris should be completed to coincide with the Oranmore loop and Galway station upgrade by 2025. Dáil Éireann and the Government decide on infrastructure investments against a background of cross-party consensus for action to revitalise the western rail corridor. I ask for the support of the Minister on this.

Could we have a timeline on the report? Can the obstacle produced by the DUP by not allowing an Executive to be in place and Ministers to be in their roles doing the necessary jobs for the people be avoided?

Beyond that, I ask the Minister for an update on the rail plans for Dublin, Belfast and beyond to Cork, including electrification. We are still operating on the same timeline in respect of the rail ticketing system, which is obviously necessary from the point of view of producing a tax saver ticketing system. The system operates for people who are now remote working and may only work two or three days a week. There has been a major issue with trying to deliver this and it appears that only a new ticketing system will address it.

Please God, the Assembly will return, but in the absence of that, we do not have full control over what we can do with the report. I have to bow to the diplomatic reality that we are in.

I am glad Deputy Dillon mentioned the reopening of the Foynes line because it is connected to the western rail corridor. We need to think in the long term. The development of Rosslare Port in Wexford is necessary for the development of offshore wind, which means the quayside will have to be developed. We should put the rail line back and reopen the line between Wexford and Waterford. Waterford Port has rail lines right along the quay. Cork Harbour will be a huge area for potential industrial development because of the development of offshore wind. There is rail connectivity right down to the quayside in Marino, which is closed but could be reopened at a relatively low cost. The same could happen in Foynes. There could be major development of the port and rail line right down to the quay.

Strategic development along the corridor I mentioned could involve each of the large deep-water international ports we have, which have existing rail freight capability but hardly any services. The only real services are from Ballina south down to Waterford for forest products, Coca-Cola and some other products. If we could complete this network by reopening the connections to the quaysides and create a spine from the north west to the south east, that would be a strategic investment on the part of the State that makes sense to me. The review did not emphasise rail freight; that was not its key objective.

We are going to have to do a lot more work to look at how rail freight connected to our ports system would work but it definitely could work.

In response to Deputy Doherty as to whether it is through Navan, Portadown, Omagh, Dungannon or Strabane, my personal view is that the Dungannon, Omagh, Strabane route and on to Letterkenny has real potential in terms of what it would do to what are not insignificant towns. As the Deputy said, they have suffered from that lack of connectivity west of the Bann as much as Letterkenny has. My instinct, following the discussions I had with ARUP, is that it would be very expensive because it would be a new line but it would be transformative for the north west.