Railway Safety Bill 2026: Second Stage Dail Éireann — 2026-10-01 ============================================================ Roderic O'Gorman (GP), Dublin West The Green Party welcomes this legislation and we will support its progression through the Oireachtas. We know that rail is one of the safest, most sustainable and most climate-friendly forms of public transport. As this country continues to invest in public transport, expand our rail services and plan major new projects, such as MetroLink and DART+ in Dublin and metropolitan rail in other cities, it is essential that the safety apparatus we have in place keeps pace with those developments. At its core, this Bill is about ensuring that Ireland has that modern, robust and independent system for the investigation of railway accidents and any other incidents that occur. Putting the railway accident investigation unit on a statutory basis is an important step. Independent investigations are crucial, not only for determining what happened after an accident, but also for identifying the lessons that can prevent a recurrence in future and increasing public confidence in the wider rail network. The Green Party particularly welcomes the extension of the investigation regime across the wider rail sector and ensuring that all rail systems in the country are subject to appropriate oversight and safety scrutiny. We also support the strengthening of powers relating to accident reporting and investigations. A safety culture really depends on transparency, accountability and a commitment to learning from incidents, and it is good to see that reflected in the shape of this legislation. The provisions relating to alcohol and drug testing, particularly for safety-critical rail staff, are safe, sensible and proportionate. Passengers and workers alike are entitled to expect the highest safety standards across the rail network, and aligning railway safety legislation with modern road traffic standards provides greater consistency. It also reflects best practice that we see in transport safety regulation internationally. The Green Party, as a party committed to encouraging greater use of public transport, recognises that increasing passenger numbers and expanding services must go hand in hand with maintaining the highest levels of safety. Public confidence in rail depends not only on reliable services but also on strong regulatory oversight. While supporting the Bill, we will examine its provisions carefully on Committee Stage to ensure the new arrangements provide sufficient independence for accident investigations, that safety recommendations will be acted on effectively and that the implementation of these changes will be adequately resourced. We would welcome clarification from the Minister of State on how recommendations arising from investigations will be monitored and reported on and whether there are sufficient resources available to support an expanded remit for the Railway Accident Investigation Unit. Overall, however, this legislation represents a necessary modernisation of Ireland's railway safety framework and is a constructive measure that supports both public safety and the continued development of a modern rail network. I wish to make a couple of other points on the topic of rail while I have the Minister of State’s attention. He is probably familiar with this map of the Irish rail network from 1906. As we know, we once had a network of 5,000 km of railway across the country, with over 1,000 stations. Every corner of the island was connected to rail. Nowadays that the network is just a fraction of that. When we talk to people, particularly commuters, we note there is a real demand, passion and desire to reopen rail lines and stations around the country. We have that opportunity now with the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, published in 2024. What is proposed in it is still a far cry from 5,000 km but it would provide a dramatically enhanced level of service and, importantly, would link in with services across Northern Ireland, recognising that we are one island and that there is a desire in large parts of the Republic for rail connectivity. Some of that can be delivered through Northern Ireland as well. The all-island strategic rail review is a realistic plan. It is costed and meets the clamour and desire for greater rail services. My concern is that we are not seeing the implementation of the plan take place with the necessary speed if it is to be delivered by 2050, which is the end of its lifetime. We are seeing a couple of the smaller aspects, such as passing loops being installed in various parts of the country. That is all good stuff but it really is at the most basic level. I would cite the decision taken a year and a half ago not to go ahead with the reopening of the Waterford-Wexford-Rosslare line and to push that back. Steps like that are highly retrograde. I am sure a few others in the Chamber might agree with me on that as well. Yesterday, I had a very useful meeting with representatives of Irish Rail. They were holding a briefing in Buswells and discussing some of the key projects Irish Rail is looking to advance at the moment. As a Dublin West TD, DART+ West was number one on my agenda. The project is advancing well. My colleague, Eamon Ryan, when he was Minister for Transport, prioritised its advancement. It has planning permission and we expect it to move through the next decision gates shortly. It is going to be vital for the area. We have seen huge growth in Dublin 7 and Dublin 15, and into Kildare, and that growth need to be supported by new public transport. It is important that some of the steps concerning how it will be rolled out be taken now as well. I was chatting to the Irish Rail representatives yesterday about having community engagement officers who will deal with the small issues. Issues will crop up in a project of this scale but we would like to see those community engagement officers put in place as soon as possible. There is another big decision coming for the Government now, and that is on DART+ South West. The funding is not in place for DART+ South West. It has planning permission. It is pretty much on track with DART+ West but it does not have the funding right now. A decision is coming up for the Government soon, and I appeal to it not to drop the ball on this. DART+ South West is ready to go. The two DART developments working in tandem would enhance the efficiency of delivering both. This would enhance the overall financial viability of delivering both. It would be a huge missed opportunity for public transport, particularly for the thousands of people who have bought, or have been sold, homes along the south-west line in Adamstown and Clonburris on the basis that they would have enhanced public transport and who have been left waiting up to this point. I genuinely believe that, when we consider how many homes are needed in this country to solve our housing crisis, we must realise that building them in tandem with new and enhanced public transport is crucial. That is the argument I am making in relation to the proposal Fingal County Council has recently brought forward for development at Dunsink, beside the old landfill. It is a very ambitious proposal for 16,000 or 17,000 homes. That could work but it will not work unless new public transport is put in place. There is a proposal to extend the support an green line from Broombridge through the Dunsink lands to the sports campus and then on into Tyrrelstown and Kilmartin Grove. This part of Dublin is another huge growth area. Thousands of additional houses have been added in the past five years and the area could really benefit from public transport. The Dunsink plan cannot work without a new public transport link. Right now, the Luas green line extension to Tyrrelstown has been put back beyond 2042. That cannot work. There is a review of the greater Dublin area transport strategy next year. I will be campaigning to make sure the Luas extension to Tyrrelstown is prioritised. It will benefit constituents of mine in Tyrrelstown and Kilmartin Grove but it will also allow the successful development of Dunsink in the years to come. Deputies from Limerick raised the issue of the extension of the line there to support the Ryder Cup. I was at Adare station two or three weeks ago. It is great to see it there. It will facilitate the short-term movement of people for a major sporting event. It is absolutely right, however, to call out the missed opportunity if we do not see the investment linking Limerick city to Adare and then Foynes. There is significant growth within the outer suburbs of Limerick. Putting railway infrastructure in place, much of which is not new but involves using and refurbishing existing rail infrastructure, will deliver high-quality public transport that will support the development of new homes. I have a final point. In the context of the major capital works we are talking about, it might seem small but it is very important for any commuter who uses Connolly Station. It concerns the intercom in Connolly. There are not very many calls but there is no way to hear the intercom. Connolly is our major station for the north and west and, if there is a delay or change in times, people cannot hear what is being announced for love nor money. I have spent many hours sitting there waiting to get proper information about what is happening. This is a small thing but it speaks to the public transport experience. We know that 1 million journeys are taken every day on public transport in this country. Hundreds of thousands of commuters are trying to get to and from work, and the State should make that journey as easy as possible. I have been very vocal in my critique of the increase in fares that is coming in January. I will not go into that today. Basic things, such as people being able to hear what is happening with their train, why it is delayed, when it is coming and what platform they need to move to, are important. If we cannot get those basics right, it becomes harder to encourage more people to make the change, leave the car behind and use the services we are investing in, albeit not quickly enough. We have to make that journey a palatable one for commuters. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-10-01/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:01:00+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-10-01