Railway Safety Bill 2026: Second Stage

Minister for Transport (Deputy Darragh O'Brien)

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I am pleased to introduce this Bill for the consideration of the House. It addresses two separate areas. First, the Bill contains proposals to enshrine the organisation and main functions of the Railway Accident Investigation Unit, RAIU, in primary legislation. Second, the remainder of the Bill contains amendments to update and modernise the Railway Safety Act 2005 and consequential matters. I will address each of these briefly.

The background to the proposals in Part 2 of the Bill for the RAIU is as follows. The RAIU is an independent statutory body that carries out railway accident investigations in the State. The objective is to identify the causes of these accidents. They are also a means to improve railway safety and prevent future accidents from happening. I am sure the Deputies will agree that in the operation of the State's railways, safety is paramount. To enable this, it is essential that the RAIU has a strong statutory basis to underpin its role in regard to reporting and investigation of accidents and incidents on our railways. A railway incident unit had originally been set up under the Railway Safety Act 2005 as a unit within the then Railway Safety Commission, which has since been renamed the Commission for Railway Regulation. Subsequently, it became mandatory under the EU railway safety directive of 2004 for each member state to establish an independent national investigation body. To that end, the present RAIU was established under national secondary legislation in 2014. The RAIU was conferred with powers and functions under the regulations of 2014 in respect of all railways. This includes heavy rail, that is, the railway operations on the Iarnród Éireann network and light rail, which includes the Luas tramway in Dublin. Those powers and functions also covered metros and other railways, such as heritage railways, of which there are a number throughout the country.

There was a change in the law at EU level when a replacement recast EU railway safety directive came into operation here on 31 October 2020. That recast railway directive has a reduced scope and it expressly excludes light railways, metro and other local railway systems. In the context of the railway systems in Ireland, it is only heavy rail, basically the Iarnród Éireann network, including DART, that now comes within its scope. The European Union (Railway Safety) (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 2020 transposed the recast railway safety directive from 31 October 2020 and provided the RAIU with investigation powers and functions in respect of the heavy rail system. These regulations are referred to in the Bill as the regulations of 2020. The Railway Safety (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents Involving Certain Railways) Act 2020 was enacted and came into force on 31 October of that year as a solution to prevent a gap in arising in the legislation that would leave the RAIU without a statutory basis to investigate accidents involving any of Ireland's other railways, including Luas and Heritage Railways.

It is important to note that there is no legislative gap for the RAIU to be covered in this Bill. Since October 2020, the RAIU, with the combination of the regulations of 2020 and the provisions of the Act of 2020, has a complete statutory basis. It will carry out investigations in respect of accidents and incidents involving heavy rail, the Luas light railway in Dublin and other heritage railways. It was also the intention that the legislative solution provided through the operation of the Act would be an interim measure. The objective for the longer term now being delivered in this Bill was that a stand-alone statutory basis would be provided for the organisation of the RAIU in primary legislation and to cover the investigation of accidents and incidents on railways that were outside the scope of the EU railway safety directive.

I turn to the content of the Bill. It consists of six Parts and 71 sections. Section 1, as the Short Title, section 2, as the interpretation of the Act, and section 4, laying of regulations, are all standard provisions. Section 3 sets out the definition of Part 2. Twenty-three definitions in all, except one, are in use at present under the regulations of 2020, and indeed the Act of 2020. The only new term that is being introduced is specified railway. This applies to the types of railways to be prescribed in regulations under section 6. Part 2 sets out provisions for the investigation of accidents and incidents by the RAIU and spans sections 3 to 28, inclusive. The purpose of Part 2 is set out in the main statutory framework for the organisation and operation of the RAIU in primary legislation. The provisions that cover this and underpin the operation of the RAIU are contained at present in the regulations of 2020.

The policy being pursued in the Bill is that all common functions of the RAIU are set out in the Bill. I will refer to these as overarching, and these are the powers and functions that are common to any accident investigation, whether carried out under the regulations of 2020 for the Iarnród Éireann network or under Part 2 of the Bill for specified railway, which includes light railway, Luas, metro and heritage railways. The goal of this policy approach is to streamline the legislative framework for the RAIU in primary legislation. The overarching investigation powers and functions for the operation of the RAIU are set out in Part 2 to apply to all railways in conjunction with regulations that will be made by the Minister for Transport under section 6 of the Bill and regulation of the EU-based measures for the Iarnród Éireann network, which continue under the regulations of 2020. The overarching provisions of the RAIU in Part 2 that apply to railways include section 5, which is the core provision of the organisation of the RAIU, including the appointment of a chief investigator and of investigators.

Section 7 includes core provisions for investigation. Section 8 covers notification and reporting of accidents and incidents. Sections 11 through to section 13 are the status of the RAIU investigators and comprehensive statutory powers in carrying out investigations and to have access to the scene of an accident and to records. Section 14 covers powers of entry and search warrants. Section 15 covers provisions of records and other information to the RAIU. Section 16 is about provision of an offence for obstructing or impeding an investigator from performing a statutory function. Section 17 states that a member of an Garda Síochána may arrest without warrant a person who obstructs or impedes an investigator under Part 2. Section 18 covers provisions for prosecution and offences. Section 19 covers provision for offence by a body corporate. Section 20 covers the standard immunity from claims or damages for investigators in carrying out investigations. Section 25 covers the conditions of copyright in RAIU reports. Section 26 covers saver provisions and continuity safeguards to provide for a seamless continuity of work of the RAIU under the regulations of 2020 and under the Act of the same year as regards investigations that are under way at present or reports in preparation or existing reports and safety recommendations. Section 27 contains provisions for the repeal of the Act of 2020 and the transitional provisions for saver and continuity of functions performed by the RAIU. These overarching provisions mirror the content that is in the regulations of 2020 for the Iarnród Éireann network and applied through the Act of 2020 to other railways.

Part 2 also contains some provisions that only apply to the RAIU and its investigations functions in relation to specified railways. Section 6 covers powers for the Minister for Transport to make regulations to prescribe specified railway and for matters for carrying out the investigation of accidents and incidents. Section 9 contains requirements for railway entities to provide information to the RAIU on the commencement of an investigation. Section 10 means that it may investigate relevant decisions of the Commission for Railway Regulation. Section 21 contains provisions in relation to the RAIU investigation reports for specified railways. Section 22 contains provisions to confer functions on the Commission for Railway Regulation in relation to safety recommendations that are issued by the RAIU. If Part 2 is enacted and the overarching provisions come into operation, it will be necessary to amend the 2020 regulations to revoke the duplicate provisions therein that are being restated in this Bill and on the same date to commence the repeal of the Act of 2020 that is provided for in section 27 of the Bill. The net effect of Part 2 provisions of section 6 regulations and the amendment of the regulations of 2020 will be that the status quo will be maintained in relation to the statutory powers of the agency for investigating and reporting of railway accidents.

As I stated at the outset, the second purpose of the Bill is to introduce amendments to update and modernise the Railway Safety Act 2005. The most significant amendments for updating the Act of 2005 are in Parts 4 and 5 of the Bill and relate to railway safety, critical workers and intoxicants. In the Act of 2005 are certain provisions in Part 9 operated by railway organisations for sampling of safety critical workers in the workplace for intoxicants in line with the code of conduct. The Bill contains some amendments in Part 4 to facilitate the implementation of those measures. The Act of 2005 contains provisions in Part 10 in relation to intoxicants and sets out functions for an Garda Síochána and the Medical Bureau of Road Safety for testing for alcohol and presence of drugs. The policy in 2005 was to align the provisions enacted in the Act of 2005 regarding the statutory limits for alcohol, blood breath and urine for a safety-critical worker with those provided for a driver under the then Road Traffic Act. Likewise, the statutory functions and procedures of An Garda Síochána and the Medical Bureau of Road Safety mirrored the provisions that were in the Road Traffic Act back in 2005.

The provisions in relation to alcohol and drugs and associated procedures for An Garda Síochána and the bureau have been significantly amended and updated in road traffic legislation since 2005. The policy being pursued in this Bill is to update and align Part 10 with the current provisions in the Road Traffic Acts. The amendments proposed will align the statutory limits for safety-critical workers for alcohol and blood, breath and urine with the limits that apply to a specified person. This covers professional drivers, including drivers of a bus, heavy goods vehicles or a taxi. The relevant alcohol limits in section 49 of the Bill are significantly lower than the present values in the 2005 Act.

I will now go through some of the details of the amendments proposed to the 2005 Act. Section 25 amends section 2 to update definitions and terminology. For example, the use of the word "doctor" replaces "medical practitioner".

Sections 30 to 32 contain amendments to streamline some of the administrative processes and functions of the Commission for Railway Regulation.

Section 33 updates terminology throughout the Bill to have the text refer to "railway organisation" instead of "railway undertaking".

Section 34 provides for the repeal of section 41, an obsolete provision.

Sections 35 and 36 provide timeframes for the Commission for Railway Regulation to carry out a two-stage process for safety assessment of new works under section 42 and safety assessments of new rolling stock under section 43.

Sections 37 to 40 are all technical amendments to update terminology.

The purpose of Part 4 of the bill is to amend and update Part 9 of the 2005 Act on intoxicants and railway safety critical workers in the workplace.

Part 9 requires railway organisations to have codes of conduct in the workplace in relation to alcohol and drugs, and the roles of authorised persons and analysis of samples. Part 9 has effectively operated since 2006. Section 41 updates definitions that were used in Part 9. Section 42 expands the application of Part 9 to include heritage railways which operate train services on railway infrastructure of another railway organisation. This would apply to heritage or passenger tourist trains that occasionally run on the Iarnród Éireann network. There is no change for any other heritage railway.

Section 43 contains some minor amendments to update administrative functions of the Commission for Railway Regulation.

Section 44 amends section 89, which relates to sampling procedures in the workplace for intoxicants. The amendment to subsection (1) will provide that an authorised person may require a safety-critical worker to provide a sample of "breath, oral fluid, blood or urine" in accordance with sampling procedures. The expansion to include breath and oral fluid gives railway organisations more options to include in Part 9 on conduct. The broader term "intoxicants" also includes alcohol as substituted for "drug". The amendment of subsection (2) provides that only a doctor or a nurse who has been designated by an authorised officer can take a specimen of blood from a worker.

Part 5 of the Bill contains proposals to amend and update Part 10 of the Railway Safety Act of 2005. Section 45 updates the definitions that are used in Part 10.

Section 46, which inserts a new section, 93A, is a key provision. It provides an enabling power for the Minister for Transport to make regulations to provide for a matter referred to in Part 10 as prescribed or to be prescribed. When the Bill is enacted, secondary legislation must be made to support the implementation of Part 10 to enable An Garda Síochána and the medical bureau of railway safety to carry out their statutory functions.

Section 47 expands the application of Part 10 to include a heritage railway.

Section 48 amends section 96 to set out the functions to be performed by the medical bureau for road safety to carry out analysis in respect of blood or urine samples that are forwarded to An Garda Síochána. The equipment or apparatus provided, supplied, approved or tested by the bureau under Part 2 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 shall be deemed to have been provided, supplied, approved or tested by the bureau for the purposes of enforcement by An Garda Síochána.

Section 49 reduces the statutory limits for concentration of alcohol, blood and urine in the breath for a rail safety critical worker in respect of criminal offences. The changes are: that the existing limits for alcohol in the blood of a concentration of 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood are reduced to 20 mg; the existing limit for alcohol in urine of a concentration of 107 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of urine are being reduced to 27 mg; and the existing limit for alcohol in the breath of a concentration of 35 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of breath will be reduced to 9 mg. The proposed new limits align with the maximum levels that apply at present under the Road Traffic Act for specified persons. These persons include professional drivers, such as holders of licences to drive small public service vehicles or taxis and holders of licences to drive categories of heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches.

Section 49 amends section 97 to provide for the insertion of four new subsections for five specified drugs, including cocaine, heroin and cannabis. These provisions mirror the corresponding provisions in the Road Traffic Act 2010.

The purpose of sections 50 to 57 is to update the Act of 2005. The provisions mirror the powers and procedures for An Garda Síochána in the roles of designated doctor or designated nurse that are set out in the Road Traffic Act 2010.

Section 50 amends section 98, which is the obligation to give a specimen of breath to test for the presence of alcohol and expands it to provide that a member of An Garda Síochána may make a requirement of a railway safety critical worker to provide a specimen of oral fluid to test for the presence of a drug.

Section 51 updates section 99 in relation to the powers of An Garda Síochána for arrest without warrant and the power of entry for that purpose.

Section 52 is an amendment of section 100 of the Act of 2005 and substitutes section 100 on obligation to provide a specimen of blood or urine following arrest.

Section 53 substitutes a new section for section 101 on obligation to provide a blood or urine specimen while in hospital.

Section 54 inserts a new section 101A to introduce a new measure to provide an oral fluid specimen following arrest.

Section 55 inserts a new section 101B to introduce a new measure for obligation to provide a blood specimen where suspects of an offence involve a specified drug.

Section 56 inserts a new section 101C to introduce a measure for requirements to undergo a medical examination at a Garda station or hospital.

Section 57 updates references in section 102 to the cross-reference to the Road Traffic Acts for detention of intoxicated persons where a danger to themselves or others.

Section 58 updates section 103 on procedure following provision of a breath specimen under section 100.

Section 59 inserts a new section 103A to provide procedures that apply where a specimen of blood was taken from a person by direction of a member of An Garda Síochána under section 101(5) and that is to be done in a hospital.

Section 60 amends section 104 on the procedure to be followed relating to specimens taken or provided and for forwarding specimens to the medical bureau of road safety.

Section 61 amends section 105 on procedures regarding specimens to expand the existing procedures to provide that the medical bureau of road safety may determine the concentration of a specified drug or drugs in a specimen of blood forwarded to it.

Sections 62 and 63 update the Act of 2005 in relation to prosecution of offences and evidential requirements in prosecutions.

Section 64 inserts four new sections, which are sections 107A to 107D, into the Act to provide for evidential requirements in prosecutions. These mirror provisions in place in the corresponding circumstances from the Road Traffic Act of 2010.

Section 65 amends section 108 on defences for a defendant and expands the provision in line with the measures available under the Road Traffic Act and includes offences in relation to oral fluid.

Sections 66 and 68 update provisions in relation to penalties and prosecution of summary offences.

Section 69 inserts a new Schedule into the Act of 2005 of specified drugs. This is the same as the Schedule in the Road Traffic Act 2010.

Section 70 updates section 126 to provide consequential amendments to reference provisions that are proposed in Part 2 of the Bill.

Section 71 in Part 6 of the Bill provides for amendment of Schedule 1 to the Freedom of Information Act to insert a reference to the Railway Safety Act 2005 at paragraph (u). The effect will be that certain records of the Medical Bureau for Road Safety arising under the Act of 2005 would have the same partial exemption status that applies at present to those corresponding certain records that may arise under the Road Traffic Acts of 1961 to 2024.

The Bill will ensure that the Railway Accident Investigation Unit and the Railway Safety Act 2005 are underpinned by a robust and appropriate legislative framework. I commend the Bill to the House.

Deputy Pa Daly

I thank the Minister and his staff, who provided such a comprehensive and clear background and analysis of the Bill. As we are speaking about road safety, I remember Eoin Doyle, who died in the tragic incident near Kiltybo in County Mayo. There is an investigation going on, so I am not going to comment too much but I know people from the area. The reports I read about the funeral were really heartbreaking. I offer my sympathies to his parents, Declan and Elaine.

While Sinn Féin will support this Bill to the next Stage, we must be clear that nothing the Government will do here today will address the real issue in relation to railway around this country, which is that our rail network is one of the weakest and least developed in western Europe. While Europe was building high-speed rail, electrifying lines and connecting regions, successive Irish Governments were closing railway lines and managing decline. Not surprisingly, rail accounts for only approximately 3% of passenger transport in Ireland. That reflects the lack of investment over many years and the lack of attractive rail alternatives outside of the Dublin area.

Communities in Kerry, Donegal, Mayo and across the west are paying the price for decades of transport policies that prioritised roads and took people off the railways. In my county alone we had the Dingle line, the Reenard line to the ferry for Valentia Island and other railways, particularly the line from Listowel through Abbeydorney and Lixnaw and up to Limerick, which, of course, was ripped up as well. Roads were prioritised and the railways were closed.

If countries across Europe can deliver, Irish people are entitled to ask why we were left behind. The real scandal is not that we lack high-speed rail, it is that many communities today have less rail connectivity than previous generations. This Bill does not do anything to address the issue. This legislation is not about investment or expansion. It is not a Bill that will deliver any modern rail network that communities across the island have been promised for years. As was comprehensively outlined, it is technical and regulatory. It updates safety procedures and accident investigation arrangements. These measures are important and necessary, but the bigger issue in rail is the failure to deliver the infrastructure fit for the 21st century. Safe railways matter, but also people need railways that actually exist and provide services. Communities cannot board a safety regulation or commute on a statutory instrument or a Government press release. We need trains, tracks, stations and services. That is where this Government and previous Governments have consistently fallen short. No new services were provided this year due to lack of investment.

The Bill places the Railway Accident Investigation Unit on a statutory footing. It strengthens investigation proceedings and modernises provisions relating to intoxicants and railway workers. These provisions are all sensible. I do not think anybody in the House will argue against maintaining railway safety standards to the highest level possible. Public transport must be safe and reliable and it must be trusted. However, people across Ireland are asking a different question. Where is the delivery? Where are the rail projects that have been promised for years? Where is the ambition that successive Governments continually tell us is just around the corner? When we look at this legislation, we see one of the weakest railway systems in western Europe. We have had more reviews than new railway lines.

The Government constantly points to the all-island strategic rail review as evidence of a commitment to rail. Minister after Minister has referenced it. We have seen the launches and the announcements, but communities are entitled to ask what has actually changed. The review sets out a vision for transformational investment in rail. It is recognised that Ireland needs a major expansion of its rail network, additional lines, electrification and stronger regional connectivity. It acknowledges that the network must grow significantly if we are serious about balanced regional development and meeting our climate targets. However, a plan on paper means little if there is no ambition for delivery.

The gap between what the Government is saying and what it is doing is impossible to ignore. The clearest example of this is the western rail corridor. For decades, communities in Mayo and Galway and throughout the western region have been hearing promises, hoping for a line that will continue from Limerick through Ennis, all the way up to Sligo and maybe beyond. For decades, they have been listening to studies. They have been told to wait. The latest is they have been told that construction on the Athenry to Claremorris section is targeted for 2028. After all these years, communities are still being asked for more patience. We do not need any more plans, strategies or consultation exercises. We need shovels in the ground and a railway line which will deliver all the way. The reality is that a project recognised as strategically important is moving painfully slowly. Every year lost means more families are forced into car dependency, more congestion, higher transport costs, greater emissions and fewer opportunities for regional growth. The clear message sent to the west is that people there must wait for the next review or the next announcement. It is welcome that a new railway line has proceeded from Limerick out towards Foynes in the past few years, but it is incredible that there is no provision to have passengers. The line is solely for freight, for whatever developments are going to take place in Foynes, an Amazon building or whatever. That the foresight is not there to build on the increased appetite for passenger transport on the railways is almost unbelievable. That millions are being spent on a new, temporary platform at Adare for the Ryder Cup says it all.

We will have to wait for the next programme for Government for any more developments there. In the meantime, project after project is jumping the queue. The west must not wait to be treated as an afterthought. People outside the M50 contribute to the economy too and deserve access to modern public transport. A network designed on the basis that all roads lead to Dublin is destined for failure. In Kerry, we know too well what happens when regional transport is treated as an afterthought. We are not asking for luxury, but we are asking for basics and reliable rail services, better connectivity and investment that recognises the south west is no less deserving than any other area of the country. For example, the Tralee to Dublin transport artery is the longest rail journey in the country, connecting families, students, workers, business and tourists to the rest of the island. Passengers cannot buy a cup of tea on a four-hour journey. Many of the people who are travelling on this journey, and I see it myself, are attending medical appointments in Dublin and may be older or frailer. They do not want to have to transfer trains; they want a direct journey. However, on the direct journey, they do not have any access whatsoever to a trolley or a shop. This might seem like a small thing, but with the surplus and with all the investment that is going on, it surely is not too much to ask. People travelling from Tralee to Dublin, sometimes with children also, and students heading to college are paying fares which were reasonable until the latest hikes. They should not be expected to undertake such a long journey without basic refreshments. The attitude that some routes warrant investment and others will have to make do is going to have to change.

We hear frequently about climate action. This is one of the most effective climate measures available to any Government. We cannot persuade people out of their cars if there is no train available, or achieve modal shift if communities have no realistic public transport alternatives. We cannot lecture people about reducing emissions if we fail to provide the infrastructure that will allow them to do so.

Railway investment is not simply a transport issue. It is about housing, climate, economy and balanced regional development. It helps people access employment, education, healthcare, tourism and investment and enables balanced growth rather than endless concentration around Dublin. Areas of the west and north west are rail deserts. They have weak rail connectivity or no service at all. We have to push on and get a rail line up through the west, through Navan and on towards Tyrone and Donegal. The network is heavily Dublin-centric, making travel between the regional cities very slow, and that deficit is not inevitable. It is caused by a shortage of demand, acknowledged by the Government's own reports.

The Government can move quickly when it chooses to, but when the communities ask for actual rail infrastructure, investment and construction, they are left waiting indefinitely. We need action now. We need the Government to be clear that public transport policy cannot begin and end with reports that are gathering dust. We support measures contained in this legislation providing for railway safety and independent accident investigation. Public confidence in rail travel depends on this robust safety regime, but that alone will not build a modern rail network. The true test will be whether the projects like the western rail corridor will be finally delivered, whether the ambition contained in the all-island strategic rail review is translated into construction on the ground, and whether rural and regional Ireland finally receives the infrastructure that has been promised for decades. Communities deserve more than announcements and reports. It is time for the Government to get on and deliver.

Deputy Thomas Gould

The National Bus and Rail Union has described the Cork to Dublin train as a hotspot of antisocial behaviour in recent years. There have been 120 complaints of antisocial behaviour on trains to and from Cork in the last 12 months. I thank The Echo newspaper in Cork and Amy Campbell for her work in highlighting this. These incidents include times where people feel unsafe, intimidated and scared. There is no way to exit a train once it is moving. Volatile behaviour can be particularly scary for people travelling by train when they are next to a person who is behaving like this.

There need to be clear rules and legislation to protect people on trains. The trains are packed. They are full of families and younger and older people who need to feel safe on trains. I appreciate there are some positive aspects to the Bill, but in reality we need real funding to introduce transport police and keep people on trains safe.

Having said that, I want to take a moment to commend those working on the railways. I get the train every week from Cork to Dublin and back again. The staff are excellent, especially in Kent Station. I know a lot of the staff personally and they take the job very seriously. They are very understanding and accommodating to people. In Cork, we have taken particular care in recognising the importance of the railway station, named Kent Station after Volunteer Thomas Kent who was executed for his role in the 1916 Rising. The staff have done huge work to commemorate and remember Thomas Kent. His bust is maintained immaculately. It is a great reminder for those in Cork and those visiting of our history. I would like the Minister to engage with Kent Station and other railway stations to see what more could be done to remember Thomas Kent and educate people. We have a proud history. The workers would engage with the Minister because they are very proud to have the station named after Thomas Kent.

While Kent Station will always be the main railway station in Cork, there are now planning applications for two new stations in my constituency. They are welcome, but we need them to be delivered quickly. They will open up travel to huge parts of the population in Cork, but they should be delivered alongside park-and-ride facilities in Blackpool and Glanmire, which are needed so that people can use the new stations. I would love to see the stations continue in the proud tradition of Kent Station and be named after Cork's patriot dead. Delaney station should be considered as a name for the Kilbarry station. It would be a fitting reminder of the Delaney brothers, who were executed in their beds the night of the burning of Cork. The Dunkettle station is another substation. The First Cork Brigade, many of whom are railway workers, used the railway lines in Glanmire to transport messages and ammunition during the War of Independence. Commemorating and preserving our history should go hand in hand with progress. The new railway stations are welcome and it is progress.

More and more people want to use the train. They want to be able to access trains, but the reality for many people in my constituency is that there are no trains or the train service is infrequent. We need a significant increase in the frequency of the trains to Mallow. More and more people are using the train to commute to and from work in Cork city, and that should be encouraged. We want to get people out of their cars, hit our climate targets and reduce emissions. They should be able to socialise in the city and get a train home. That is why we would like more trains running at later hours.

The last train to Cork out of Dublin is at 9 p.m., which means many people use their cars to travel to Dublin, which causes emissions. I ask the Minister to consider extending the train service to Cork, especially at the weekend. Expanding train services to Cork would connect every other station on the line to a better and more frequent service and increase access. I engage with Iarnród Éireann when there are big events in Dublin and Cork teams are playing. They tell me every carriage is being used and every bus is being used by Bus Éireann. We need to increase capacity so that people can get to those events. The best way to do that is by train. I ask the Minister to consider whether it is possible to add additional train services at night.

The purpose of the Bill is ensuring trains are safe. Services do not exist at the moment. Until 1973 there was a daily Cork to Youghal service. In the 1970s, the service was reduced to the summer months and weekends. There is now a train service to Midleton, halfway to Youghal. That should go all the way to Youghal. Many people think Youghal is a destination for people who are going to the beach and tourism, and it is, but a significant number of people live in east Cork and work in Cork city, Ringaskiddy and Little Island. That is why we need the train service to be reinstated. There is no greenway on the tracks at the moment, but I think it is possible to have both.

Workers in east Cork and people travelling need a train service. During the summer months, there are a large number of cars travelling the roads to east Cork and a railway line that has not been used for years. It is shocking to see the lack of foresight on the part of Governments who ripped up railway lines right across the country. I want more people to travel by rail.

The Minister mentioned light rail. There is a light rail plan for Cork, from east to west, but nothing from north to south. This is a fundamental flaw. The Minister might say the Government does not have the money to deliver that now, but it needs to be planned. If it cannot be delivered right now, the Government at least needs to plan for it. There is no planning to connect light rail to the airport. Where is the connectivity when we are trying to get people from the northside to the southside? There are many areas such as Mahon Point, Carrigaline and Douglas and Ballyvolane and Blarney on the northside of Cork city, which are not served by public transport. People cannot depend on buses, which means they then get into cars. We want more people to use public transport.

We support many aspects of the Bill, but there is nothing in it about investment and delivering better public transport. That is what we would like to see from this Government.

Deputy Keira Keogh

I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak on the Railway Safety Bill 2026, which is important legislation aimed at modernising our railway safety framework, strengthening accident and investigation procedures and ensuring that the highest standards of safety continue to apply across Ireland's rail network. At its core, the Bill provides a primary legislative basis to ensure the Railway Accident Investigation Unit can continue to perform its important function of investigating railway accidents and incidents. Changes at a European level mean that it is necessary to ensure that the unit continues to have the appropriate statutory basis and powers to carry out that work effectively.

The Bill comes at a time when more and more people are choosing rail. It is great to see that Iarnród Éireann had its strongest ever year last year, carrying more than 55 million passengers across Intercity, DART and commuter services, which I believe was a 9% increase on the previous year. The Westport line in my county experienced significant growth, with passenger numbers reaching approximately 773,000 in 2025, an increase of more than 8% on the previous year. They are great numbers. The Luas also celebrated a record-breaking year, with more than 55 million passenger journeys across the red and green lines.

Those figures are positive, but as passenger numbers grow, so too does the responsibility on all of us to ensure that our rail network is safe, reliable and properly resourced. As a Deputy from Mayo, I approach the Bill with a particular appreciation of the importance of rail services to regional communities. The rail services that connect towns like Westport, Castlebar, Claremorris, Ballyhaunis and Ballina with the rest of the county are a vital link for our county. Workers, students, tourists and families avail of rail transport and for them it is not a luxury; it is an essential part of our transport infrastructure.

As we encourage greater use of public transport and seek to reduce our emissions, we must maintain confidence in the safety of our railways. I cannot speak about railway safety without acknowledging the recent tragedy in Kiltybo near Ballyhaunis in my county where a collision between a train and a car claimed the life of 12-year-old Eoin Doyle who was on his way home from GAA training. The loss of such a young life has devastated Ballyhaunis and all the people right across Mayo. Before I continue, I wish to say that my thoughts remain with Eoin's parents, sister and wider family, as well as with the whole community in Ballyhaunis, as they continue to come to terms with such a profound loss. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Tragedies bring into sharp the focus the critical importance of robust safety procedures, appropriate protections at level crossings and the continuous reviewing of safety practices across our rail network. It is a stark reminder of why the highest standards of railway safety must always be maintained. I particularly welcome the provisions in this Bill that reinforce the principle that safety investigations are about establishing what happened, learning from an incident and preventing similar incidents from occurring again. Public confidence depends on knowing that when a serious incident occurs, it will be examined thoroughly and independently and that lessons will be learned. This is fundamental for passengers and railway workers and operators alike.

While I support the objectives of the Bill, legislation alone cannot guarantee railway safety. We must ensure that continued investment in railway infrastructure, signalling systems, track maintenance, technology, staff training and recruitment remain essential. Safety standards are strongest when good legislation is matched with adequate resources and investment on the ground.

From a Mayo perspective, investment in rail remains critically important. We must continue to strengthen regional connectivity and ensure that communities in the west receive the same level of ambition for public transport as communities anywhere else in the country. Safe, reliable and efficient rail services are essential for balanced regional development. They support tourism and local economies, provide sustainable transport choices and help our towns and communities remain connected. The Government has rightly emphasised increased public transport usage as part of its climate, economic and regional development objectives, but achieving that requires public confidence. Every passenger boarding a train in Westport, Ballina, Castlebar or at any train station or stop across the country must be confident that safety comes first and that we have a system capable of investigating incidents, learning from them and continuously improving our standards.

Another significant element of this Bill is the modernisation of Parts 9 and 10 of the Railway Safety Act 2005, which relate to intoxicants and safety-critical railway workers. We can all agree that this is an area where, frankly, reform is overdue. When the Railway Safety Act was enacted in 2005, the statutory alcohol limits applying to train drivers reflected the limits applied in road traffic legislation at that time. Road traffic law has subsequently changed and the limits for professional road drivers were reduced. A category of "specified persons" was introduced covering professional drivers, such as bus drivers, taxi and HGV drivers. The railway legislation, however, simply did not keep pace, and the consequences are quite extraordinary. Under the existing legislation, train and tram drivers can have an alcohol concentration of up to 80 mg per 100 ml of blood. This is compared with only 20 mg for specified professional road drivers and 50 mg for an ordinary motorist. In other words, the statutory limit applying to a safety-critical railway worker can currently be four times that of an equivalent professional road driver. That discrepancy was identified years ago. Indeed, when these proposals were brought forward in 2018, the then Minister for Transport, former Deputy Shane Ross, said the changes would bring consistency between the safety standards applying to train drivers and equivalent professional drivers on our roads. That was in 2018. Obviously, we have had a pandemic since then, but it is reasonable to wonder why it has taken us this long to get this legislation before us. If we identified a gap in safety so long ago, particularly one concerning intoxicants and people entrusted with the safety of hundreds of passengers, we should not need this long to close that gap. The thousands of citizens and visitors who board our trains and Luas services every day need to know that the standards applying to the people carrying out safety critical work are rigorous, modern and consistent. They should simply be able to assume that the person responsible for operating a train carrying hundreds of people is subject to at least the same rigorous safety standards as other professional drivers. This Bill addresses that anomaly and modernises the provisions around testing, sampling, analysis and enforcement. That is welcome. It supports the wider objective of ensuring our transport safety legislation remains coherent and fit for purpose as Ireland's transport network continues to evolve. It is my hope that this now moves and becomes law as quickly as possible.

I cannot speak about rail in Mayo without also taking a sidestep to talk about its future. This week, I met the CEO of Iarnród Éireann and I was delighted to hear that the trolley service trial on the Galway to Dublin line is progressing well. I always talk about the fact that passengers on the Mayo-Dublin line are often on the train for three and a half hours without access to water, tea or food. Genuinely, that is more than an inconvenience, especially for people with disabilities who might not be able to go to the shop and bring a hot cup of tea with them as easily as other people. We also must think about the number of tourists who use that line. If they are on the train for three and a half hours, they expect to have access to catering. My message to the passengers on the Galway-Dublin route is to please drink as much tea and coffee and eat as many bags of crisps as they possibly can in order to help build a business case for extending this service to Mayo and other intercity routes.

We also need to be much more ambitious about our rail freight. It is particularly important when we look at major employers in regional Ireland. Recently, I visited Vantive, which is a fantastic employer in Castlebar. It is competing in global markets and must demonstrate that its operations are as sustainable as possible. Currently, we have a good freight service and hub out of Ballina, but there is a good business case to have one in Castlebar as well so we do not have trucks driving an hour from Castlebar to Ballina to get onto the rail line. I want to see us build on that freight service in Ballina and examine the potential for additional rail freight infrastructure to serve Castlebar and the wider county. If we are serious about balanced regional development, decarbonisation and supporting major employers outside Dublin, rail cannot simply be about moving passengers; freight must form part of that ambition too.

I will finish by talking about the western rail corridor. I do not know if Members saw the TikTok video this week, created by AI, that made very handsome Irish-looking men in nice coats. If we could get the train to Knock Airport as quickly as AI could, it would be wonderful. That video has rallied concerns about the potential 35 km greenway coming into Sligo. We must ensure that we are competing with AI videos that can be produced at the drop of a hat to ensure people there that if the greenway goes ahead, the railway will be preserved as promised to reinstate rail on that line in the future. The Athenry to Claremorris route is, hopefully, due to start in 2028 and open in 2031. That would be a good business case to get all the way to Sligo. We want to see rail all the way from Limerick to Mayo, onto Sligo and into Donegal to ensure the west of Ireland is connected.

This Bill is fundamentally about maintaining confidence in our railway system, confidence that passengers and workers will be protected, accidents and incidents will be properly investigated, outdated anomalies in our law will be corrected and confidence that, as our rail network grows, safety will remain at the centre of that growth. I support the objectives of this Bill and I look forward to its progression.

Deputy Ciarán Ahern

I welcome the Bill, which the Labour Party will be supporting. While it is largely technical in nature, it is important. It is kind of crazy that it has taken this long to get around to aligning the statutory limits for drugs and alcohol for rail workers and train drivers with those in road traffic legislation. Deputy Wall will be raising some serious health and safety concerns about overcrowding on commuter lines between Kildare and Dublin.

The current system of self-regulation when it comes to safety on our railways is not fit for a modern rail line or system. Therefore, we welcome these changes. As the Minister knows well, we talk about road safety frequently in this House, and rightly so given the near decade-high figures for deaths on our roads. There are tragedies every day on our roads. Thankfully, rail safety is not something we have to talk about too often in this House.

Thankfully, rail safety is not something we have to talk about too often in this House. Like Deputies Keogh and Pa Daly, I want to say that we are thinking about Eoin Doyle, the 12-year old boy who tragically lost his life, in early September, in a rail collision near Ballyhaunis in County Mayo. As I said, collisions involving trains and other vehicles are thankfully pretty rare, which makes Eoin's death all the more tragic. My understanding is that visibility at the crossing where the incident occurred is poor. I am aware that the CCR is investigating the circumstances around the accident. I hope that some measures are taken at that crossing, and elsewhere across the country where there are issues, to improve visibility and safety at these crossings. On behalf of the Labour Party, I extend our sincere condolences to Eoin's family and friends.

As I said, the Labour Party will be supporting this Bill. I will not dwell on the Bill itself because it is pretty straightforward. I do want to touch on our rail infrastructure more broadly. In this House we all know the importance of investing in rail. Projects like DART and Luas have been game changers for Dublin. Back in the day they had their detractors. Some of them still darken in the door of this building but I think we would be hard pressed to find anyone nowadays who would say we should not have built them. They have been enormously successful. I have every faith that future rail projects will be equally successful for Dublin and other cities and towns across the country. They will help to tackle congestion, reduce emissions, improve health, support housing development, connect cities and regions, give people in rural Ireland, in particular, a much-needed alternative to the private car, and help with the cost of living along the way. We all get that. It is in that context that we find it bewildering that Government has been so slow to move on some projects that are literally ready to go. In some cases, they have been actually pushed back and delayed. DART+ South West received planning permission almost two years ago, in November 2024, but funding still has not been released. This is a service that could bring 20,000 people in each direction every hour. Imagine the difference it would make to the likes of Clondalkin, Lucan, Adamstown and Celbridge. At a time of huge construction in Clonburris and other areas, it would be enormous. Yet, the Government's NDP review has pushed construction beyond 2030, which is six years after it got planning permission. This is not just a transport issue. If we are serious about building homes and new communities, which we have to and want to, then we have to have the infrastructure to support them.

The same issue applies to the Luas extension out to Finglas. Planning permission has been granted. Judicial reviews were withdrawn earlier this year. Yet, we have been given a date of 2029 before construction will get under way. TII has said that if the Government moves quickly on a funding decision, construction could be brought forward to 2028. I urge the Minister to do everything he can to accelerate that. I know it is on his desk. The Finglas Luas is a great example of an interconnected transport service, with links to heavy rail and bus at Broombridge and the park-and-ride facility at St. Margaret's Road. We must encourage the use of more park-and-ride facilities across the country. We need more of them, and we want to incentivise people to use them. My Labour Party colleagues, Deputy Robert O'Donoghue and Councillor Mark Boland, have proposed that tax-saver tickets could be extended to park-and-ride parking costs, to put a little more money back into the pockets of hard-pressed commuters who are trying to do the right thing and avail our rail services rather than driving. It is exactly the sort of public transport infrastructure that we want to see more of, one where these sort of links to other services exist. It is the type of project that deserves to be expedited insofar as is possible. The Government cannot tell us on the one hand that infrastructure delivery is an urgent national priority, and on the other hand, allow major public transport projects to move repeatedly between dates and phases and funding envelopes and so on. Public transport infrastructure is tied up with how we address so many of the other major issues we face as a country, whether it is housing, congestion, climate change, and so on. There are economic, environmental, and social costs associated with failing to urgently deliver on public transport projects.

I will finish on a positive note. I commend the Minister on his progress so far in getting MetroLink over the line after all these years. It is a big cost but we know the benefits of MetroLink will far outweigh the price of building it. As has been said on numerous occasions, the cheapest time to build it was 20 years ago and the next cheapest time is now. It will be transformative for Dublin, particularly those in north County Dublin. As I always do when discussing MetroLink, I would appeal to the Minister to begin planning an extension south of the Grand Canal through Dublin South-West, out to Tallaght. The Minister has told me before that the greater Dublin transport strategy review will commence next year, and a new feasibility study will be carried out as part of that. Any feasibility study is welcome but I would ask that it be carried out independently so that mistakes we feel were made in a previous study are not repeated. My understanding is that the previous feasibility study will form part of the evidence base for the next one, so that is a little bit concerning. I would like the Minister to watch out for that. Obviously, we have not seen the terms of reference yet but I would hope that a more holistic approach could be taken to this feasibility study. The business case for deciding on an extension of the line to Dublin South-West should not necessarily be considered only in terms of current passenger numbers. It should also look at the opportunities that this would open up in terms of housing and development as a city-building project for that part of the city. Overall, of course, we welcome that the MetroLink line extension will be a priority focus of the transport strategy review that is long overdue but I strongly urge the Minister to have it carried out by an independent body.

Deputy Mark Wall

I welcome the Minister to the House. I want to take the opportunity to discuss the Railway Safety Bill 2026. Rail safety is becoming a massive issue for commuter counties like Kildare. In particular, it is impacting commuter towns like Athy, Newbridge, Kildare town and Monasterevin. Hundreds of people have contacted me this week alone outlining their concerns regarding Irish Rail. The majority of these concerns were primarily due to overcrowding on a number of Irish Rail services on a number of lines, including the Waterford, Limerick and Portlaoise lines. This also extends to the Luas services, which Kildare South commuters are using as a means of onward travel into Dublin city centre. Overcrowding on Irish Rail services is presenting a very serious health and safety issue for these commuters. People are standing in aisles, by entrances and near bike racks just to get on the train. They are packed in like sardines. I have had a number of constituents share what can only be described as horror stories of overcrowding on Irish Rail services. Only last week I highlighted one case of an elderly couple who were extremely unsteady on their feet, standing in between carriages because there were no seats left.

I want to highlight to the House more examples from my constituents. Katie said:

I'm currently writing this email to you standing in the middle of a coach on the 5.25 Limerick to Heuston train that I boarded in Kildare town. The train serves enough towns including Portlaoise, Portarlington and Monasterevin. Upon boarding the train, there was already a significant number of people standing. The next train leaving Kildare town is 7.23, serving Newbridge and Naas also. It is very likely that the same scenario as the one I find myself in will be presenting itself on that train.

Jamie, a student commuting from Kildare town to DCU said:

Every morning I get the 6.44 train to Newbridge, then the 6.56 train to Drumcondra. This morning, like every morning, I witnessed something extremely dangerous. By the time the train got to Hazelhatch and Celbridge the train was rammed. No one could get on or off. No one could move. By the time I got to Drumcondra, it took me ages to get off the train, going past multiple people.

Shane, another commuter travelling from Newbridge to Pearse Street, said:

The train is 70% full leaving Newbridge. By the time it leaves Sallins, it's standing room only and then it has to stop at Hazelhatch, Adamstown, Clondalkin and Cherry Orchard, all of which are busy, as they also have exceptional population growth. The trains are unsafe. Most of the time with people standing down the aisles. Even people trying to get off at times can be problematic, as there's often 20 people between them and the door, and nobody wants to step off for fear of losing their little spot on the carpet.

Like me, the Minister is young enough that standing for half an hour to Heuston is okay but many of the trains coming through Newbridge start much earlier and much farther afield and have frail and vulnerable people who are forced to travel into Dublin for hospital appointments. It is not uncommon to see these people precariously make their way along the overcrowded walkways and have to step over people sitting on the floor, etc., while the train is moving, just to get to the toilet. Often, the toilets are in such a state they have to go farther along the train. It is also not uncommon to see frail and vulnerable people trying to get on a train at Newbridge and then not managing to get a seat, because people do not offer or because they simply cannot make it to seats to ask somebody to move. It is only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt because of all this overcrowding.

As other colleagues have done, I raised these concerns with Irish Rail recently and was extremely disappointed with its response to addressing this issue. I was informed that health and safety on Irish Rail services is done by self regulation, according to the organisation. That is not an acceptable answer to addressing the serious health and safety concerns on rail services and is simply not good enough.

What does self-regulation mean? I was told that we only had a train driver on these trains and that nobody was operating from the stations. Is it up to the person getting onto a train to self-regulate when they see a crowd on it? Somebody might explain what exactly is meant by that comment. The Bill should address this immediate concern as it is unlikely that commuters are going to see any expansion of frequency or capacity on the Waterford line until 2027, and hopefully no later, which means the only other solution is to continue with overcrowding.

The Commission for Railway Regulation is the national safety authority charged with overseeing safety on Ireland's rail services. It is mentioned throughout the Bill before us. Do many in the House know exactly what this commission is? I will, as my party colleague and spokesperson has said, work with the Minister to bring real measures that will address the poor and inadequate health and safety provision on our rail services to ensure that commuters get the proper public service they are praying for and which so many of them need.

The Bill is about rail safety. It is about addressing crashes and injuries after they happen. I am putting it to the Minister that we have to deal with these situations before accidents happen, and I ask that the Bill in its entirety set out to address this and the overcrowding for commuters along the three lines I mentioned because it could come too late and nobody in this House wants such a thing to happen.

Deputy Conor Sheehan

The Bill is very technical and I welcome the Minister's clarification that Parts 9 and 10 do not apply to private heritage railways. That is very important. There are a few of them around the country. It is important that onerous regulation is not placed on them. In many cases they are privately run and located on private ground. They are mainly volunteer driven and do an awful lot of fundraising to keep themselves going, and I am glad the Minister has clarified that they will be exempted from this.

I also welcome the fact the RAIU is going to be put on a statutory footing. That is very important. We are very lucky in this country that we have, in general, an extremely safe railway system. It is safer than the European average. Nevertheless, we have to be cognisant of the potential for extreme weather and extreme heat. We have seen a number of frightening incidents across the water in the UK, with continuous welded rail bending during the heat. Our temperatures were not that far behind those in the UK this summer and we are going to have more extreme heat. The RAIU, and for Iarnród Éireann as the operator, should make sure they have a proper national plan in case speed restrictions are required.

When we are speaking about safety on the railways, it is important to talk about the continual need for investment, particularly in fleet renewal. Iarnród Éireann's fleet is completely maxed out. It will get some carriages back in the short to medium term when the new DART fleet is rolled out but, unfortunately, that has been slightly delayed. After that, there really is nothing else coming. My party colleague Deputy Wall made an important point on this issue. One of the scariest experiences I have had on an overcrowded train was in his area. I got on the train to Newbridge at Grand Canal Dock. This train goes through the Phoenix Park tunnel and is dangerously overcrowded at peak times in the morning and evening. To be honest, certain trains down my way, particularly the Limerick to Galway line between Athenry and Galway and between Limerick and Ennis, are overcrowded. That is really limited by the fact that Iarnród Éireann does not have additional fleet capacity.

It is important to note and reflect that when the western rail corridor was reopened, there were pessimists among us who said the line would be a white elephant. It has been extremely successful and it proves the mantra that if you build it, they will come. My city of Limerick really needs the Minister to commit to a feasibility study on the Shannon Airport railway link. I know it is not an immediate, short-term concern but we need a feasibility study because it needs to remain on the table. It is part of the longer term strategy for rail in Limerick and the wider mid-west.

We are so lucky in Limerick that none of the railway lines were ripped out. Limerick has the best potential for rail outside of Dublin and that needs to be noted. I am somebody who spends the best part of his time on the Kerry border. A piece of railway infrastructure called the Kerry curve, which runs under Carey's Road in Limerick, links the Foynes line to Limerick Colbert Station and would cost €35 million to reopen. That proposal was submitted to the Department of housing under the housing activation fund. It is a pity the Minister has had to leave because, unfortunately, the project was unsuccessful. It needs to be submitted again and it needs to be funded.

We will have the Ryder Cup next year, which I welcome. We will have a temporary railway station in Adare for the Ryder Cup, which will take people from Adare to Limerick Junction but they will not be able to go from Adare to Limerick city. That is very short-sighted. It would cost €35 million to open up the line from the Adare and Foynes direction to Limerick city. The N20 is one of the most congested roads in the country outside of the greater Dublin area. An active, working commuter railway service between Adare and the hinterlands of Limerick would be transformative for the potential for rail in Limerick and the wider mid-west.

In tandem with that, we need to make damn sure that when the LDA puts in an application to develop housing around Colbert Station, it will not build over or disturb this alignment. I want to state on the record that this would be detrimental because that alignment needs to be preserved, as do the capacity and the space. We need to see funding forthcoming from the Government for sectoral investment in transport and commuter rail in Limerick and elsewhere in the mid-west. With the benefit of figures such as the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and the Taoiseach, Cork is getting significantly more than Limerick for commuter rail. Cork is effectively getting a DART station. Limerick is getting a double track to Limerick Junction at some stage but nothing is forthcoming in terms of investment in commuter rail. We have a blueprint and plan. We just need the Government to support it.

Deputy Grace Boland

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Railway Safety Bill, which seeks to strengthen our railway safety framework, place the railway accident investigation unit on a clear statutory footing and modernise aspects of railway safety legislation, particularly in relation to safety-critical workers and accident investigations. These are sensible, practical and necessary measures and I am very pleased to see them included in the Bill. I particularly welcome the provisions relating to safety-critical workers, including the updated framework governing alcohol and intoxicant testing in railway workplaces. The travelling public must have confidence that those responsible for operating and maintaining our railways are held to the highest safety standards. Equally, rail workers themselves deserve the protection that comes from clear rules, robust procedures and a strong safety culture.

Safety on the railway depends on people as much as infrastructure and it is right that this legislation reflects that reality. Railway safety is one of those areas where we can never stand still. Public confidence in our railway network depends on knowing that the systems, procedures, infrastructure and oversight mechanisms in place are robust, independent and continuously improving.

Recent events have reminded us why that matters. Only weeks ago, the country was shocked by the tragic collision at the level crossing near Ballyhaunis in County Mayo, which resulted in the tragic death of 12-year-old Eoin Doyle. First and foremost, my thoughts remain with his family, friends, classmates and the wider community as they continue to deal with the unimaginable loss. That tragedy serves as a stark reminder that railway safety is ultimately about protecting lives. It is not simply a regulatory framework or a legislative exercise. Behind every accident statistic is a person, a family and a community.

The lesson for all of us is that safety must remain at the centre of every decision we make regarding our rail network. Whether we are talking about level crossings, signalling systems, infrastructure maintenance, operational procedures or workforce safety, there can be no room for complacency. Every train passenger should have confidence that the network they use is safe, and every railway worker should be able to carry out their duties knowing that robust safeguards are in place. Equally, every motorist, cyclist and pedestrian who encounters railway infrastructure should be confident that the crossings, signalling systems and operational procedures meet the highest possible standards. That is why I welcome the strengthening of the independent accident investigation arrangements contained in this Bill.

One of the hallmarks of a mature safety culture is the willingness to investigate incidents thoroughly, learn lessons and implement improvements before problems recur. Independent investigation is critical to maintaining public confidence and ensuring that safety improvements are driven by evidence and experience. However, if we are serious about railway safety, we must also urgently improve our railway infrastructure. Safety is not just about examining what happens after an incident occurs. It is also about preventing incidents from occurring in the first place.

As a TD representing Fingal, I regularly hear from many commuters who rely on the northern commuter line. Many, including myself, have experienced repeated disruption arising from signalling failures and infrastructure issues. For people travelling from Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Lusk, reliability is not simply a matter of convenience. It determines whether people get to work on time, whether students get to school and college, whether parents make collection time and whether families can depend on public transport as part of their daily lives.

Too often, commuters find themselves standing on platforms waiting for services delayed by signalling faults. While any individual incident may seem minor, the frequency with which these problems are occurring points to a broader challenge. Parts of our rail control infrastructure are ageing and increasingly strained by growing passenger demand. I very much welcome that Ireland’s rail network is carrying more passengers than ever before. We are rightly investing in new train carriages and new services, expanding our capacity and planning for growth in rail usage over the coming decades.

We talk regularly in this House about housing growth, population growth, climate action and sustainable transport, but every one of those ambitions depends upon a railway network that is capable of carrying significantly more passengers safely, efficiently and reliably. While this legislation strengthens the regulatory and investigative side of railway safety, we must ensure that Iarnród Éireann is supported by the Minister, the Department and the NTA, as well as being funded to urgently modernise the operational side of railway safety.

In particular, we need to accelerate the delivery of modern train control and signalling systems in the greater Dublin area and across the wider national rail network. Commuters on the northern line have experienced frequent disruption because of signalling and infrastructure failures. The long delays in delivering the national train control centre project have raised serious concerns about the pace at which critical rail modernisation is being delivered. An expanding railway cannot continue to rely on infrastructure that is obsolete and at the end of its life.

We need urgency, accountability and delivery. Modern train control systems are not simply a convenience. They form an essential part of our safety infrastructure, improving oversight, reducing operational risk, increasing network capacity and helping to prevent incidents before they occur. This is especially important in places like Fingal, which is one of the fastest-growing parts of Ireland. Communities like Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Lusk continue to expand and thousands of people rely on rail every day.

Government policy is to encourage greater use of public transport and that means passengers must have confidence that the service is safe, reliable, efficient and resilient, but public confidence in rail is hard-won and easily lost. We have seen in places such as Balbriggan that passenger numbers can decline, even though it is a growing community. When service reliability came under pressure and fares increased in 2025, we saw a 5% decrease in passenger numbers at Balbriggan train station. This makes absolutely no sense. Balbriggan is the youngest town in the country and one of the fastest growing. We really need to consider the decisions we make and how they impact public transport usage. If we are serious about modal shift, we need a railway that people want to use. That means not only safe infrastructure and modern signalling systems but also reliable services, competitive fares and a passenger experience that encourages more people to leave the car at home, not the opposite. Every investment we make in safety and capacity should ultimately be about growing rail usage and strengthening confidence in public transport.

I very much welcome the investment that we will see in the coming months and years, in particular in new train carriages on the northern commuter line and transformational projects such as DART+, which will significantly improve railway services for communities across Fingal and the wider Dublin area. Looking further ahead, the planned four-tracking on the northern line has the potential to be absolutely transformative, unlocking additional capacity, improving reliability and supporting the continued growth of communities such as Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Lusk.

From the perspective of commuters on the northern line, however, delivery is what matters. Passengers need to see improvements on the ground and they need confidence that long-standing signalling issues and capacity constraints are being addressed with urgency. The objective should be clear: a railway network that is among the safest, most reliable and most modern in Europe. This Bill is an important contribution towards that goal. It strengthens oversight and investigations and updates important elements of our railway safety framework.

It also needs to be viewed as part of a broader railway strategy that combines strong regulation with sustained investment, modern infrastructure and expanded capacity. The recent tragedy in Ballyhaunis reminds us why safety can never be taken for granted. At the same time, the experience of commuters on the northern line reminds us of the importance of continuing to invest in and modernise our rail network. I am confident that through projects such as DART+, the provision of new rolling stock and signalling upgrades, once delivered, as well as the delivery of a modern train control centre and future capacity enhancements, we can build a railway that is safer, more reliable and better equipped to meet the needs of our growing population.

For those reasons, I welcome the Bill and look forward to supporting its passage through the House. Go raibh maith agat.

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman

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.

Deputy Emer Currie

I welcome the Railway Safety Bill 2026, which strengthens and modernises Ireland's railway safety laws to protect passengers, workers and everyone who relies on the rail network. It gives the Railway Accident Investigation Unit a clear statutory basis in primary legislation and updates the rules for reporting and investigating railway accidents and incidents. It provides for investigations, including into incidents on Luas, future metro lines and heritage railways, ensuring safety legislation keeps pace with Ireland's developing transport network. It modernises alcohol and drug testing for railway staff carrying out safety critical duties, including procedures for taking and analysing samples, gathering evidence and enforcement. It brings railway testing enforcement rules into closer alignment with road safety legislation, supporting a consistent approach across the transport sector, which is positive. All these changes are important because effective investigations help to identify risks and prevent similar accidents while robust testing helps to protect lives.

While I have the Minister of State's attention, I will talk about DART+ West. As I am sure he is aware, the people of Dublin West are hugely supportive of DART+ West. It is a hugely important project for our community and it is long awaited. It represents transformative investment in the electrification of our rail network, doubling capacity at peak hours and extending DART services across Dublin 15 and Dublin 7, to Maynooth, the M3 parkway and Kilcock. My understanding is that procurement is advancing with pre-qualification questionnaire notices for the design and build works having been issued in May 2025 and the tender documentation now in its final drafting stage. The compulsory purchase order, CPO, process has commenced with notices having been issued to more than 200 affected landowners on the route. As long as there are no complications, I think I am right in saying the tender documentation for DART+ West is expected to be issued before the end of the year, which is positive, with the objective of early works on the line commencing by the end of 2027 and main works commencing in 2030. Overall, it is a positive project of which I am fully supportive.

Now, we have to consider how the project will be delivered on the ground. DART+ West will open doors for commuters, but we must ensure closing level crossings permanently does not close off communities. The Government is doing a great job of putting a faster main transport artery through the area. How can we ensure the local connections keep working? This will be a major construction project. When it is finished, it will transform people's access to local train services, which will change their communities, but the closure of level crossings and therefore of local roads will also change communities and those communities want information. They want information about it sooner rather than later. They are supportive of DART+ West, but they want to be communicated with about the plans for it.

In responses to my parliamentary questions, Iarnród Éireann has stated it

will continue to engage with local communities as the project progresses towards construction. This engagement will focus on the timing, phasing and potential impacts of the level crossing replacement works and will include advance notification of planned works, regular project updates, consultation with local authorities and elected representatives and targeted engagement with directly affected residents, businesses and community organisations.

I ask the Minister of State to encourage Iarnród Éireann to start that engagement now and not to wait until it reaches construction. I will explain why. Clonsilla level crossing is due to close permanently with a new active travel bridge to be implemented. Coolmine level crossing is due to be closed permanently with a new active travel bridge. Ashtown level crossing is due to close permanently, with a new bridge underpass and an active travel bridge. In Clonsilla, a detour is to be implemented with a new bridge at Barberstown, which is a few kilometres away. In Coolmine, local road junctions are to be upgraded to deal with the closure of Coolmine Road and I believe that is happening at Porterstown along the Diswellstown Road to Blanchardstown and Laurel Lodge. I said "I believe" because I had to look for that information from Irish Rail recently and a lot of residents are still in the dark about the plans.

In responses I have received, Iarnród Éireann stated that it engaged in extensive public consultation prior to and as part of the railway order. The railway order was submitted in 2022. The consultations happened before that and some of them took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, so the community requires more information at this point to let it know DART+ West is coming, the benefits of DART+ West and about the overall transport management plan and transport strategy for the community.

This Bill is about safety. The permanent closure of level crossings is part of the railway order and therefore part of the planning approval for the project. The reason given for the permanent closure of the level crossings was safety. That still needs to be explained to people. I challenged the closure of the level crossings during the public consultations and at the oral hearing on DART+ West. I did so on the basis that two of them are currently operated by attendants who manually close the gates. I asked whether the crossings could instead be upgraded to the highest modern safety standards and retained, at least during peak hours, to maintain the connectivity between communities. The answer was "No". It was "No" even though the capacity is due to double at peak times and I do not know what the capacity or frequency will be at off-peak times. These are the questions people have and Irish Rail, the NTA, Fingal County Council and stakeholders should be available to the community at this point so they can explain to people the benefits - and I think we all support it - but also the plans for its introduction, not in 2027 or 2028, but now. I am not suggesting anything that would delay DART+ West. I actually support measures that would expedite it, but can we please ensure we create the time and space for communities to move with us as we move this project along?

Deputy Paula Butterly

Before I begin, I too offer my sympathies to the Doyle family. The loss of a child is always devastating.

I welcome the Bill. Safety on our tracks and level crossings is always paramount. I will focus my contribution on two points, which concern the safety on our trains and platforms. The first is about overcrowding. We are fortunate in County Louth as we have seen an increase in services between Dublin and Belfast. We will see the introduction of new carriages that will transport more than 400 people per service. We have seen more frequency, with services running 15 times per day between Dublin and Belfast. All of that is to be welcomed. As is said, "when you build it, they will come" and the trains are now overcrowded. People are huddled together at every point in the day and, at some stages, particularly in the summer when it was hot, people with conditions like asthma were struggling to breathe. It is not just on the carriages, but also on the platforms.

Drogheda station is full to capacity. There is nowhere to park and when people are rushing for a train at 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. and desperately trying to find a car parking space, they start to get het up and stressed and that can lead to incidents. There are incidents on the platform because people are huddled together trying to get onto and off a crowded train. That safety issue has to be addressed and I have the solution. It is a solution I have spoken about again and again. It is the introduction of a new station in north Drogheda. The population is there and the housing is there and we will have an increased population, with more than 7,000 houses being built in the coming years. A train station in north Drogheda is absolutely vital. It needs to take people away from the platforms and car parks in Drogheda and get them onto a new platform and into a new car park in north Drogheda.

In Dundalk, it is the same situation. The car park is absolutely jammed. We need more space for more cars. These services have been of huge benefit to County Louth.

These services are getting people out of their cars and onto trains but, as a result, we once again have crowded platforms and crowded trains. As has been said, we are introducing new carriages and will have new seats but we need people to be able to get on that platform safely.

I have another solution for the Minister of State, the introduction of a train station in the mid-Louth area. This would serve not just the people of County Louth but also a lot of people in counties Meath, Monaghan and Cavan who do not have the facility or luxury of being able to get a train. In a recent parliamentary question, I asked the Minister to fund and carry out a feasibility study. Everybody on the ground knows that this is feasible and that the demand is there but we need to prove it with hard facts and evidence. I once again ask the Minister to provide funding for a feasibility study.

On my second point regarding safety on our trains and platforms, one of the key commitments in the programme for Government is to introduce a transport security force. While the numbers seem quite low, there were 50 incidents of sexual offences on trains in 2025. That number seems quite low but these are the people - teenagers, children and primarily women - who have actually made a report to Iarnród Éireann. Who knows how many have been in similar circumstances and have disembarked from a train without saying anything, despite going home shaken and traumatised by the event? It is a key priority in the programme for Government. When are we going to introduce the primary legislation to make this happen?

People going to work need to be able to travel safely. We continue to advocate for stronger measures to be brought in for anyone who commits any sort of sexual offence against a child, teenager, woman or man. Only yesterday, we walked out for women. Men and women of the Oireachtas stood together and walked out to say that violence and abuse towards women has to stop. We have that commitment. I would like to know when it is going to be fulfilled. There is no place for any woman, child or teenager to be abused on a train, on a bus, at a station, on a platform or in a car park. I would like the Minister of State to respond to that.

Deputy Barry Heneghan

Táim an-bhuíoch as go leor rudaí sa Bhille seo ach tá a fhios ag gach duine sa Teach nach bhfuil sé maith go leor. Tá go leor rudaí ag tarlú ar na traenacha agus ar na busanna faoi láthair. Táim sásta go bhfuilimid tar éis an Bille seo a dhéanamh ach tá go leor rudaí eile gur féidir linn a dhéanamh.

There are definitely sensible and necessary provisions here. One of the best, particularly for north Dublin, is the putting of the railway accident investigation unit on a clear statutory footing. It is very important and I have constituents who will very much welcome it. Strengthening the rules around alcohol and drugs for people working in safety-critical railway roles is something I fully support.

I will use this debate to talk about safety issues my constituents have raised with me and some of the stories they have told me. We need a quicker system to tell those with disabilities when a lift is not available at stations in north Dublin. It is not acceptable for a local representative, whether myself, another TD or a councillor, to get a phone call from a constituent who has a disability who has got off a DART only to see that they cannot get to the other side of the platform. Think of the embarrassment of that constituent when they must ask to be carried up the stairs. I welcome other parts of the Bill but this needs to be looked at.

I went over to the London recently, where there are contactless systems. You can just tap your phone. I know there have been developments on that but, if we are serious about getting people onto public transport, we need to speed up the procurement of that contactless system. We should not have to get a Leap card. You should be able to use your phone to tap on quickly when getting on a bus or rail service. Accessibility and ease will increase people's use of public transport and will allow us to have a just transition.

When we speak about safety, people with disabilities need to be at the forefront. Public transport is for everyone. If we build a system that works for those minority groups, it will also cover the majority. For most of us, when a lift is broken, it is just an inconvenience but it is not acceptable for someone to have to be carried up stairs.

I welcome the Minister of State's engagement with me regarding disabilities. I welcome the work his office has done for the schools in my area. I just wanted to say that when I see him on the front bench.

This Bill will be particularly helpful for stations in north Dublin, such as Clongriffin and Howth Junction, where people are feeling intimidated and are contacting my office. Staff should be able to go to work without being abused. I heard other Deputies mentioning that issue. The requirement for co-operation between An Garda Síochána and Iarnród Éireann is brilliant. CCTV will also be critical in the transition. Reporting is important but statistics always show that, when a camera is pointed at someone's face, there is a decrease in crime.

There is constant crowding on the northern line and there have been incidents of antisocial behaviour such as fires being lit at stations and people being robbed while waiting for the DART. People who experience that will be deterred from using public transport. If they are deterred from using public transport, they will get into a car, increasing congestion and creating a new habit they should be encouraged not to take up.

I would really welcome working lifts, CCTV, lighting, staffing and emergency response. I also welcome the parts of the Bill I have addressed. If it is done correctly, this could be a real game-changer. Last year, I raised with the Minister for Transport the issue of greater investment in next generation ticketing. Passengers see contactless payment working in other European cities. It is reasonable to ask why it is taking Ireland so long. It should be simple. The same principle applies to the information.

On updating people, when a lift is not working or a train is cancelled, people should be told. If a train is going to be late, people should be told more quickly.

I welcome what this Bill does. I welcome the stronger framework for accident investigation but I would ask the Minister of State to look beyond the Bill itself and to address the issue of safety for those with disabilities. I welcome the work he has done since taking up his office. This is something that would really help. People with disabilities need to be able to depend on public transport systems rather than having to hope that a lift is working when they arrive.

I welcome the investment in the DART+ and MetroLink developments. It is the right thing to do but we should measure how that money is being spent to ensure it does not become another children's hospital. That is a standard I would like to see at the heart of this Bill. I welcome that.

An Ceann Comhairle

Before I call on the Minister of State, I welcome the students from University College Dublin. They are guests of Deputy Barry Ward and are undertaking a module on understanding government. All I can say is that I wish them luck with that.

After the Minister of State's speech, we will have Topical Issues. There are four Topical Issues: one for the Minister for education, two for the Minister for children and one for the Minister for Transport.

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (Deputy Michael Moynihan)

I welcome the students. I look forward to their analysis of how we understand government. It might be important for every citizen.

I thank the Deputies who spoke on the Railway Safety Bill. They gave informative insights not just into railway safety but into other issues. I offer my sincere sympathies to the family of Eoin Doyle on their tragic loss. Many Deputies across the House have raised genuine concerns in relation to railway safety and, indeed, the entire railway network. That just goes to show the importance of the railway system and the esteem in which it is held by Members of Dáil Éireann, both Opposition and Government. It is really refreshing to see that. Long may it continue.

I confirm to the House that the Government is committed to maintaining a modern and robust railway services statutory framework that supports the continuing safe operation and development of our railway sector. It covers not just the Iarnród Éireann network, light railways and heritage railways but also the planned metro network. This is a key Bill to ensure the railway safety investigation unit will be underpinned in primary legislation. This Bill will deliver on this objective by establishing a clear legislative basis for the unit.

It is also important to restructure the existing framework governing the reporting and investigation of railway accidents and incidents for all railways. We cannot deny the reality that railway accidents occur and will continue to do so but what we can and must do is learn from these accidents. In so doing, we continuously strive to reduce the risks involved. Despite recent high profile railway accidents, railway remains a very safe mode of transport. The second significant objective of the Bill is to update the Railway Safety Act 2005. In Part 3 of the Bill, it is proposed to streamline some of the functions of the commission for railway regulation, including the timeframes for the administration of the assessment systems for new works and new rolling stock so they are used by the Commission for Railway Regulation when independently overseeing the safety of our railways.

It is important legislation is kept up to date and fit for purpose in the modern day. Part 10 of the Act of 2005 has not been updated. Parts 4 and 5 and of the Bill modernised the Act of 2005 relating to intoxicants and safety critical railway workers, including testing, sampling, analysis and enforcement provisions. The measures in Part 5 will align with railway safety legislation with the modernisation road safety provisions in the road safety Acts for the roles of An Garda Síochána and the Medical Bureau of Road Safety ensuring a consistent approach to alcohol and drug testing, evidence gathering and enforcement across the sector.

A number of issues were raised in relation to young people using the railway network and encouraging everybody to feel safe on the railway network. This legislation is a crucially important tool for the Government to encourage more and more people to use the railways, which have been a huge benefit not just to urban Ireland but rural Ireland as well.

In many of the contributions from Members, they were looking at particular advances in terms of bringing the railway to different parts of cities and counties. It is a hugely important piece. We have to be very careful to look at where the railway map was a number of years ago and whether we want to expand the railways, not just in urban Ireland but in rural Ireland as well, to make sure we have balanced regional development. I am glad to see Iarnród Éireann and the Government are advancing an awful lot of car parking in regional towns that have railway stations to encourage people to get on the train and use the train safely. This legislation is very welcome and I commend the Bill to the House.

Question put and agreed to.

Dáil Éireann debate - Thursday, 1 Oct 2026

Railway Safety Bill 2026: Second Stage

Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 1 Oct 2026