Transport emissions targets will not be met without extending rail into Donegal, says Senator

The Leader of the Seanad Lisa Chambers complained that a large swathe of the north west of the island remains a rail desert, during a recent debate in the Oireachtas prior to the Christmas recess.

“When looking at the rail network map for the country, an entire region - the west and north west - does not feature. County Donegal has no rail link, County Monaghan has no rail link and the service to County Mayo is fairly limited, yet we have emissions reduction targets in transport of 75 per cent. That will not be achievable if we do not connect one third of the country by rail link,” stated the Mayo-based senator.

Senator Chambers said it is unacceptable that the Arup all-Ireland Strategic Rail Review cannot be published without an Executive in place in the north.

“As to the requirement of ministerial approval from Northern Ireland, the message needs to get back to the Minister for Transport that he needs to go back to the drawing board on this matter.

"It is unacceptable that we in the Republic would be constrained because of the lack of an Executivee in Northern Ireland. That will not wash with the people of the west and north west,” she said.

The Irish transport minister Eamon Ryan recently said he believed the all-Ireland rail review will provide an opportunity for ‘transformative system change’ after hearing fresh calls for a Galway to Derry train link.

Micheál Martin says Arup rail review nearing completion but won’t be published without Executive