Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-16
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Malcolm Byrne (FF), Wicklow-Wexford

I welcome the fact that the Taoiseach attended the COP in Brazil as head of Government. It is appropriate that he did so. I welcome his remarks while there. I ask the Taoiseach to consider that Ireland might consider hosting a future COP to raise awareness of the important issues he has outlined.
I do want to express concern that if we are going to reduce our own dependence on fossil fuels and get people out of cars, we have to provide them with a realistic public transport alternative. I am passionate about rail travel but unfortunately the M11 is increasingly becoming a car park every morning. The problem for those travelling along the M11 into the capital, unlike a number of other commuter routes, is that we do not have a realistic rail alternative. We have fewer services, worse rolling stock and more overcrowding than any other rail service. What particularly annoys me is the fact that yesterday, the rail project prioritisation strategy made no commitments whatsoever about improvements for the Rosslare rail line and further looked at abandoning the proposals to develop and reopen the Rosslare to Waterford rail line. If we are to provide a real alternative and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and car use, there has to be a real public transport alternative. I want assurances that the Department of Transport has not abandoned the rail commuters along the Rosslare rail line.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:28+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-16