Seán Canney
Galway East · Independent · Ireland
“To obtain an operational authorisation, an operator must provide a comprehensive safety portfolio, which includes assessing and addressing both ground and air risks with appropriate mitigations. Manna Air Delivery holds such an authorisation from the IAA.”
“The national policy framework for UAS, agreed by the Government, was published by the Minister in August last year. The policy framework aims to guide high-level strategic planning and development in the drone sector in Ireland through support, growth and innovation, while ensuring safe and secure operations.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. I note Manna Air Delivery's recent statement that it will for now cease deliveries by drone in Ireland.”
“It proposes 16 actions under three main areas: the use of airspace and planning; compliance and enforcement; and enterprise and innovation. Actions in the policy framework include the establishment of a national working group on UAS geographical zones to develop transparent processes and procedures for the designation of these zones; the…”
“This new route provides passengers travelling from Charleville to Cork with a morning service at 7.05 a.m. and a service from Cork to Charleville at 5.45 p.m., Monday to Friday. This new route is part of the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan, a major public transport initiative.”
“I thank the Deputy. I reassure him again that the Department, its Minister, Deputy O’Brien, my fellow Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I are fully committed to delivering a more sustainable, inclusive and accessible transport system for the benefit of current and future generations.”
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“From the outset, the Government set out a vision to deliver a fairer, more sustainable and more resilient Ireland. We are now beginning to see that vision take shape. The revised national development plan is a cornerstone of that progress. It is a plan with transformational intent and tangible impact. It will see €275.4 billion in public capital investment to 2035. This is not investment for headlines but investment that will secure Ireland's future, unlocking new housing supply, modernising our water and energy systems, upgrading our roads and regional connectivity, improving our health infrastructure, expanding renewable generation and ensuring public transport becomes the first choice of more people in every county. We are building capacity for a growing population, a more innovative economy and a greener way of living.”
“Back in January, I made a decision as an Independent TD to engage constructively in the formation of a new Government. My focus was simple. I wished to ensure the ambitions we have for Ireland could be realised in a practical, balanced and fair way. Throughout that process, I found the Tánaiste, Simon Harris, to be honest and open, willing to share ideas and genuinely committed to reaching consensus. Those early discussions were not about power or position but about policy, priorities and people. The Tánaiste showed integrity, determination and the ability to listen. That is what real leadership looks like. Since entering government, the Independent group of Ministers of State and I have worked closely with our partners to deliver on the programme for Government. It is built on respect, dialogue and a shared focus on outcomes.”
“If the school representatives do not agree with that breakdown, my suggestion is that they should go back to the Department and try to get the matter ironed out that way. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It could be an issue in other schools so we have to get it right. The transfer of school secretaries to the Department of education payroll was the right move - it is very important that we applaud it - but I do not believe schools should lose out as a result of the good work that was done at that time.”
“Genuinely, no school should be penalised as a result of the good work that was done to get school secretaries onto the Department of education payroll. If there is a particular problem with this school such as an anomaly in the way the calculations are being done - the Deputy has the update from the school, and the breakdown of the grant has been given to the school by the Department - there is a bit of work to be done between the school and the Department to sort it out. I will definitely bring this matter back to the Minister. I suggest that the Deputy should speak to the school's board of management and the school authorities to make sure they have received the breakdown of the grant with the clarifications on it.”
“I feel the Deputy's frustration. I will repeat what is contained in the reply. For the specific school mentioned the ancillary grant has now been reduced to nil because the salary the school was previously paying its secretaries before they moved to the Department's payroll is now higher than the ancillary grant available to the school prior to the reductions being applied. A full review of the grant was completed by the Department in September of this year, and an update was provided to the school on the breakdown of the grant. I suggest that if the school is not happy with the breakdown of the grant, its representatives should go back to the bean counters, as the Deputy called them, or whoever did this in the Department. If the breakdown is wrong, the school should be able to demonstrate that it is wrong.”
“The House should note that the reductions may change when a permanent model for ancillary-related grant reductions has been finalised. The financial support services unit, funded by the Department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on financial matters, including budgeting and cash flow management. Contact can be found on its website.”
“For the specific school mentioned, the ancillary grant has now been reduced to nil as the salary the school was previously paying their secretaries, prior to their moving to the Department's payroll, is now higher than the ancillary grant available to the school prior to reductions being applied. A full review of the grant was completed by the Department in September 2025 and an update was provided to the school on the breakdown of the grant. The rate of ancillary services grant has not decreased and continues to be paid based on the relevant enrolments in the school multiplied by the rates set out in Circular 17/21. Work is ongoing to identify a method of standardising the reduction to the ancillary-related grants for the longer term where school secretaries are being paid on the Department's payroll.”
“Schools should be in no way disadvantaged by this as the grant is reduced only by the amount they previously paid to their secretaries. To date we have issued correspondence to schools with details of the arrangements for September to December 2023, January to August 2024, September to December 2024 and January to August 2025. In some situations, the salaries of ancillary staff in a particular school may have been higher than the ancillary grant due to the school and the school may have funded this difference via other revenue streams. In situations where the salary that a school was paying their secretary was higher than the ancillary grant due to the school prior to them being added to the Department of education’s payroll, the ancillary grant is reduced to nil. This should not impact the school's financial position.”
“After Fórsa accepted the Workplace Relations Commission agreement about salaries and leave for grant-funded school secretaries, the secretaries who accepted the agreement were added to the Department of education's payroll from September 2023. Because of this, the ancillary-related grant funding has been updated. Schools are no longer paying these salaries directly. Since the 2023-2024 school year, schools have been paid the usual ancillary grant amount minus the amount that schools previously paid to grant-funded secretaries prior to their acceptance of the new terms and conditions. Schools provided the Department with these details and this information is now being used to reduce the ancillary-related grant funding.”
“Over the past three budgets there has been in an increase of 49.7% in the level of capitation rates paid to primary schools. The ancillary services grant is payable to recognised primary schools and special schools in the free education system. The grant is intended to cater for the cost of employing secretaries and caretaking staff. It is up to the boards of management to allocate this funding as per their priorities. As per Circular 40/09, the capitation grant provided for general running costs and the ancillary services grant provided for secretarial and caretaking services may be regarded as a common grant from which the board of management can allocate according to its own priorities.”
“I am taking this matter on the behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy McEntee. I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position in respect of St Mary’s Boys National School, Blackrock, County Dublin. The Department is committed to offering all available and appropriate supports to schools. As the Deputy rightly pointed out, budget 2026 includes €39 million towards increased capitation funding for primary, post-primary and special schools to provide additional financial support towards their running costs. This will see an increase in the standard capitation rates paid to schools of €50 per pupil for primary schools, from €224 to €274, and of €20 per pupil for post-primary schools, from €386 to €406.”
“To fully answer the Deputy's question, I will take her concerns back to the Minister. The Department will be making contact with the principal as a matter of course because no application has come in yet. If there are difficulties in that regard, I am sure the Department of education will be able to assist with advice on how to get the costings together in order to make the application formally.”
“They could put in a report from an engineer with a costing on it, I am sure. Nothing has been received. The Department has no record of receiving it. It is going to make contact directly with the school as soon as possible because it is important that no school or child be left in a danger, if that is the case. I come from a construction background. If the works were completed in 2022 and it was 2025 before the principal made contact, I would be concerned.”
“I listened to what the Deputy said and some of the charges she made are fairly grim. My understanding, from reading the reply prepared for me, is that the works that were contracted for in 2022 have been completed. It was only this year that the school principal made contact with the Department looking for further works to be carried out. As of when this reply was put together, the application had not yet come in from the school.”
“The advice given to the principal was that the next step was for the school to submit an application under the emergency works scheme for consideration. The Department has no record of receiving an application from the school and will make contact with the school directly in this regard. Since 2020, the Department of Education and Youth has invested over €6 billion in schools throughout the country under the national development plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million was approved by the Government and has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for the Department of Education and Youth to €1.6 billion.”
“In addition, repurposing works were completed to provide a general-purpose area and a rooftop play area. This project was delivered under the Department's devolved special educational needs reconfiguration and modular accommodation programme. This programme involves the use of project management supports that are designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in the management and delivery of projects. The project was completed in 2022. The school principal made contact with the Department of Education and Youth’s planning and building unit earlier this year relating to a request for further works. It appears that the works described may fall within the scope of the Department’s emergency works scheme.”
“I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague the Minister for education, Deputy McEntee, who is unfortunately unavailable this evening. I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the position in relation to the repurposing works undertaken at George’s Hill primary school in 2022. The Deputy may be aware that George’s Hill is a Catholic, co-educational primary school. The school has a current enrolment of 165 pupils and a staffing level of a principal, nine mainstream class teachers and three special class teachers. The project approved by the Department of Education and Youth in 2022 provided accommodation for three special classes and associated ancillary accommodation for students with special educational needs.”
“It contains targeted and tangible measures that will help those most in need right across this country. It is the first step and we, as Independents, will continue to work with our colleagues in government and with our partners to continue to implement the programme for Government. I commend budget 2026 to the House.”
“Since taking up this role, I have met many advocates for road safety. A large number of them have lost loved ones. Each of their personal stories is profound. We will keep those people to the fore of our minds as we work to make our roads safer. I am also pleased to see huge progress in another area under my remit, namely the Irish Coast Guard. The latter's aviation services are provided under contract. The contract provides for the operation of four 24-7 search and rescue helicopter bases, with an additional for the first time of two 24-7 fixed-wing services. This is a major investment that cannot be underestimated. I began by saying that I and my Independent colleagues are part of this Government to ensure the implementation of the agreed programme for Government. Budget 2026 is the first clear signal of that.”
“It requires a lot of hard work on the part off everybody involved to make it happen. In April, the average waiting time was 27 weeks. That has been reduced to an average of ten weeks now. There is more to be done, however, such as dealing with the issue of multiple learner permits, the introduction of a 30 km/h speed limit in built up areas and the reduction of the default speed limit on national secondary roads from 100 km/h to 80 km/h. This week, the Minister and I will be instructing the local authorities to embark on the process with a view to having the 30 km/h speed limits in built up areas operational by March 2027. Ultimately, this is about making our roads safer, getting people home when they go on journeys to visit their loved ones and reducing the number of road deaths and serious injuries.”
“The expansion of the living city initiative is potentially transformative. The extension of the scheme to five additional towns of Sligo, Athlone, Dundalk, Letterkenny and Drogheda is good news. It will have a twofold impact. People will be able to access houses and more people will be living in regional towns. This will boost our local economies. In my area of transport, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, will outline the main budgetary allocations for our Department. As regards the matters specifically under my remit, road safety is a key priority. I will be instructing the Road Safety Authority to ring-fence €18 million to support important educational campaigns and media campaigns on road safety. In a wider sense, the reduction of the driver test waiting times since I took office is a welcome development.”
“The revised national development plan has housing at its core. As a Government, we are investing in housing and addressing the viability gap, which will allow the private sector to kick-start the building of houses in order that they will be available to purchase at affordable prices. The Government has committed to investing €2 billion in Uisce Éireann. This is required to ensure additional capacity for housing developments. Equity funding of €3.5 billion is being provided to the ESB and Eirgrid under the national development plan to fund enhanced energy capacity to support the Government's housing and competitiveness objectives. The VAT rate on apartments will fall to 9% from 13.5%. This will bridge the viability gap and kick-start the private housing market. This is essential if we are to solve the housing crisis.”
“Measures like the establishment of the local democracy task force earlier this year, which will reform and strengthen local government in Ireland, are very welcome. As a former councillor, I know how vital it is to have strong local government in every town, village and rural community. There is also a need for the root-and-branch examination of the delivery of local government functions, particularly in the areas of housing and planning. I also welcome the continuation of the 9% reduction in the VAT rate on energy for everybody. Housing is a serious issue right now, and we in Government recognise that. Every elected Member of this Chamber has stories about their communities and people who are really struggling to get homes. We are working to improve matters in order that people across the country can access homes of their own.”
“This is coupled with a total of €335 million for investment in capital schemes, which includes providing targeted supports via TAMS to improve efficiency, sustainability and safety at farm level. The additional €5 million in funding for the post office network is also welcome. The increased investment brings total support for the network to €15 million, strengthening the role of the post office at the heart of rural areas and in communities across Ireland. When we talk about long-term planning, accountability has to be factored in. We need to do more with the resources we have. Care and accountability in service delivery are paramount to ensure that investment reaches the areas that need it most.”
“The reduction in VAT from 13.5% to 9% for the hospitality sector and hairdressers is also welcome for businesses across the length and breadth of Ireland, many of which are small family businesses. An additional €840 million in current expenditure is being allocated to the education and youth Vote in 2026, bringing the total allocation for next year to €11.5 billion. We also need a permanent solution in respect of the issue of student fees. The €500 reduction in those fees is the beginning of a journey that will allow this solution to be developed over the next four budgets. In agriculture, there is a current investment of €2.3 million to support the agrifood sector and assist families with targeted and industry specific supports, including €85 million towards the roll-out of a new bovine TB action plan, which is very welcome.”
“The increase in the child support payment, the extension of the fuel allowance to all those in receipt of the working family payment, the increase in the thresholds relating to the allowance and the expansion of the back-to-school clothing and footwear payments to two- and three-year-olds, are targeted measures that will cost over €300 million. These are steps in the right direction, but this Government needs to and will do more over next four years. I warmly welcome the investment of €10 million in the rural social scheme, the community employment scheme and the TÚS scheme, all of which are vital to rural Ireland. Mortgage interest relief, which has already benefited more than 60,000 householders, has been extended for two years. This scheme has been a lifeline for many homeowners.”
“I warmly welcome the expansion of the wage subsidy scheme and the extension of the back-to-work family dividends to recipients of the blind pension and the disability allowance. This measure will allow people on disability allowance and the blind pension to retain their fuel allowance even if they enter the workforce, and they can hold onto it for five years. In the Department of Transport, we are designing a new vehicle support scheme that will be coming forward shortly. The €10 increase in social welfare rates is also very welcome, as is the increase in the fuel allowance of €5 per week from January.”
“This is the first step on the road to abolishing the means test for carers over the lifetime of this Government. We have engaged with Family Carers Ireland for many years on this issue and it is clear that abolishing the means test is the only way to ensure carers are treated with the respect they deserve. In addition, we are increasing the associated carer's benefit income limit by €200 to €825. People living with disabilities need to be supported properly in every way to allow them to enter education, enter the workforce and carry on their everyday lives. In the previous Dáil, I was a member of the Joint Committee on Disability Matters. I engaged with a huge number of people who have the lived experience of disability.”
“As an Independent TD and a Minister in Cabinet, I look forward to continuing to work with our partners in government while the measures outlined in the programme for Government are being implemented. We talk about delivering change in our society. Some of the people who make such a difference every day in our lives are carers. While in opposition, the regional Independent TDs tabled two Private Members' motions about the abolition of means tests for carers over a specific period. The Independent TDs insisted that this means test would be abolished over the lifetime of this Government as a key objective of our programme for Government and I am delighted to see the increase in the earnings disregard for carer's allowance by €375 to €1,000 for a single person, and by €750 to €2,000 for a couple.”
“The revised national development plan will deliver transformational investment to safeguard our future, with €275.4 billion of public capital investment to 2035 to secure Ireland's future and unlocking housing, upgrading our water and energy infrastructure, delivering more roads and providing more public transport. This investment will deliver real impacts for rural and regional Ireland right down to the heart of our communities. We are what I would describe as a government of implementation not a government of strategy. We want to deliver real change that people can feel in their daily lives. This budget represents the first of five budgets over the course of which we will deliver permanent, real fixes for our people; not just firefighting measures.”
“We understand all too well that our people have to be at the heart of what we do, be it carers, those with a disability, those on a social welfare payment, those in need of homes and those living and working in our regional towns and villages up and down the country. We want to make a tangible difference to their lives. There are measures and reliefs for carers, those with disabilities, students, those seeking homes, pensioners and hard-pressed families. This budget is about delivering targeted, long-term changes to protect the people into the future. Budget 2026, coupled with the revised national development plan announced in July, has the power to transform our country.”
“I thank my colleagues in government for giving us the opportunity to participate in the formulation of budget 2026. I remember back in January, when my fellow TDs from the regional group took the courage to support the establishment of a Government, we did so on the basis of an agreed programme for Government, a blueprint for change, to be delivered over the course of five years. While in opposition, we as Independents highlighted many issues, including those affecting carers, those with disabilities, and fuel poverty. We knew that in order to achieve what was required we needed to work in government and on that basis we agreed the programme for Government with our coalition partners. Budget 2026 is the first step on the road to addressing these issues in a meaningful way for those who need it most.”
“I have been engaging with my officials about Galway in general and about the specifics of this light rail. We will continue to work on it and see what we can achieve for it in the short term as well as the long term.”
“First, I would say it is to await the outcome of the An Coimisiún Pleanála decision, not to wait to see where it goes after that. Hopefully, it will not go anywhere other than to construction. We all know that the problem has been that the outer ring road, by its nature, is a big project but it is holding up other decisions to be made about the city. That is the biggest consideration we have at present and we need to move along with that. I met with the Gluas group and was impressed with its professional approach to trying to put this project onto the ground in Galway. I will be working with the group on that. The NTA is saying it will not finish out the GMATS until An Coimisiún Pleanála makes its decision and then we will have the full picture. I am looking forward to that.”
“A significant amount of planning and design has already taken place, which will enable construction early in the coming years across active travel, bus and rail-related projects including, importantly, on Galway BusConnects, the ongoing redevelopment of Ceannt Station and the improvements planned for Oranmore station and track infrastructure. Also, the western rail corridor, as the Senator mentioned, between Athenry and Claremorris will be considered in the context of the implementation of the all-island rail review.”
“An Coimisiún Pleanála has asked Galway County Council to provide additional information in relation to the planning consent application for the ring road and this information was submitted on 15 April 2025. The NTA considers it appropriate to await An Coimisiún Pleanála's determination on the resubmitted N6 Galway ring road application. The NTA will then review the timeline and publication date for the GMATS when this determination has been made. Implementation of any recommendations identified in the strategy will be subject to the availability of funding and Government approval. In the meantime, implementation will continue on the current Galway transport strategy.”
“The findings from this study, along with a strategic roads feasibility study, will inform the development of GMATS, which will undergo full environmental assessment and public consultation. This comprehensive, multimodal approach aims to address Galway's transport needs holistically rather than through the narrow prism of one specific mode. At this stage, it is not considered appropriate to attempt to forecast the future costs, due to uncertainties about when the project would be delivered and uncertainties about future construction price inflation. As the Senator will be aware, in January 2023, the High Court remitted the application for approval of the N6 Galway city ring road to An Coimisiún Pleanála, formerly An Bord Pleanála, for further consideration.”
“However, the route options in the study are preliminary, and indicative by design, and would need to be explored further in line with the appropriate transport scheme development and appraisal guidance, following any decision to further progress light rail for the city. In addition to examining potential alignment options, the feasibility study explored the technical parameters of light rail in terms of the capacity of different types of vehicles, typical dimensions, and infrastructure requirements. There are also emerging developments in the sector, including more innovative forms of very light rail, vLRT. These emerging technologies were also considered in the final report.”
“The final report of this study was published on 30 October 2024 for information and this will now form part of the analysis used to inform the development of the GMATS, alongside recommendations for active travel, bus services, rail, roads and demand management measures. The light rail feasibility study is not intended to specifically identify a preferred alignment of a light rail corridor in the city. Instead, the final report explores key issues and potential feasibility. The important thing is that this feasibility study has shown that there could, under the right conditions, be a case for developing a light rail system in Galway. The analysis, presented in the final report, identified an east-west corridor through the city, which would be likely to have the strongest potential for light rail.”
“The GMATS will provide a long-term strategic plan framework for the delivery of transport and the integrated development of transport infrastructure and services in the Galway metropolitan area. It would align with all of the existing national, regional and local policy and guidance. As part of this process, and in addition to the need for a strategic roads feasibility study, the NTA identified the requirement for a light rail feasibility study to better understand the general feasibility for light rail in the Galway metropolitan area, and to investigate potential indicative alignments.”
“I thank Senator Kyne for putting forward this very important topic. Being a Galway man, I understand the problems we have with traffic in Galway city, which affects the entire region to say the least. At the outset I must state that any proposals for Gluas or light rail for Galway are intrinsically linked to the development of the Galway metropolitan area transport strategy. We will call this GMATS from now on rather than reading it all out again. The National Transport Authority, NTA, has commenced the updating of the Galway transport strategy, which was adopted in 2016. The updated GMATS is being developed in conjunction with Galway city and county council.”
“One of my first actions as Minister of State was to ensure the RSA had a plan in place to deliver the target. They are now reporting on the plan to me fortnightly, as well as publishing their progress for the public to see it transparently. I am pleased to report that. I am sure Senators would welcome that the progress made since April has been significant with both Cavan and Monaghan seeing their respective waiting times come down at ten weeks and four weeks respectively. Achieving the ten-week target is important not only in terms of the learner driver's experience of the service, it is also a vital component in the delivery of our road safety strategy, on which we all have an ambition. Based on the progress to date I am confident the RSA will achieve its targets in September and I will be managing it on a fortnightly basis.”
“I thank the Senator again for raising this matter. It is important and the Senator's constructive contributions are very much welcomed. I reiterate that the Government recognises the need to address the longstanding issue in relation to the service provision and to ensure that a reliable and high-quality driver testing service is available throughout the State. I understand that the unacceptable waiting times for driving tests are having a significant impact on people across the country, including in Monaghan and Cavan and especially for those residing in rural areas where public transport may be limited. My Department and the RSA are acutely aware of these challenges and are working to bring the times back to the service level agreement target of ten weeks as quickly as possible.”
“With 30 additional testers entering the service this month, I expect we will see considerable progress at all locations by the end of July.”
“In relation to Cavan and Monaghan, while progress is being made I must acknowledge that there are variations across the test centres behind the national average, with some candidates waiting for longer than the average and some having a shorter wait. At the end of June the average waiting time at the Cavan test centre was 12 weeks, which is below the national average and a significant improvement on the 22-week waiting time recorded at the end of April, before the recovery plan was adopted. On the other hand there is still work to be done on reducing waiting times in Monaghan. Although wait times have reduced by four weeks between the end of April and the end of June from 22 weeks to 18 weeks, this is still well above what is acceptable.”
“This progress has been achieved through a number of positive actions taken by the RSA, including accelerated driver tester training, which was lacking, booking system management and extended testing hours, including in the evening, at weekends and on bank holidays. It is vital that this positive trend continue and that the RSA, at a minimum, meet the targets set out in its published plan for restoring the service to an average waiting time of ten weeks under the service level agreement. Should any deviations from projected timelines arise, these must be immediately escalated to my Department. The RSA has also been instructed to make contingency preparation to deal with any potential slippage that might emerge in relation to this timeline, which should be ready to be activated as quickly as possible should that need arise.”
“Ten weeks reflects a service level agreement that has been in place. At my instruction, the RSA published its comprehensive action plan to return the target average driver test waiting time to ten weeks by early September. This plan sets out the actions that will be taken by the RSA to achieve this goal. The plan also includes targets against which the RSA is required to report to me on a fortnightly basis. The latest report on the plan has now been published and it is positive that there continues to be progress in reducing the average waiting times. As of 12 July, the RSA was reporting that the average national waiting time for a driving test was approximately 14 weeks. This builds on the progress made during May and June and is an improvement of almost 13 weeks on the waiting time at the end of April, 27 weeks.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. As he will be aware, under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the RSA has statutory responsibility for the national driver testing service. The service has experienced unprecedented demand in recent years, with the number of applications for a driving test having increased significantly since 2021. In 2024, a total of 253,850 driving tests were conducted, up from 196,853 in 2023, making it a record year for the delivery of tests. The delivery of this number of tests was possible only because of the support of our testing staff, through significant levels of overtime and operational efficiencies. The return to an average waiting time of ten weeks for a driver test is a priority for me. To that end, I have engaged extensively with the CEO of the RSA.”
“I want to acknowledge the work he undertook in opening up the rail line from Limerick to Foynes Port, which is another catalyst to allow for the Atlantic economic corridor across the western region to develop as a rail network. We have a lot done. People are complaining that we do not have enough carriages now when 30 years ago we were closing down railway lines. We have got to a stage where the tipping point has been reached and instead of closing down, we are opening up and modifying. When I see the work that has been done in Limerick, Galway, Cork and Waterford stations, outside of Dublin, I would say that this is going to be good for regional development. We will work on it as best we can with the support of all in the House.”
“With regard to having services available, such as a cup of tea or a breakfast on the trains, Irish Rail is looking at that at the moment to see how best they can deliver it. I will talk to Irish Rail about the Galway service line. Navan rail is progressing and hopefully a rail order will be delivered on that the year after next. We are talking about the rail network and the all-island rail review. Before I finish up, I want to acknowledge the work that was done by my predecessor, the Minister of Transport, Eamon Ryan, in bringing together the vision everybody had for their own area and putting it into a strategic plan. When we pull it together into one plan, each element of it becomes more viable.”