Limerick TD has made a strong appeal for the Government to use the Apple windfall revenues to strategically invest in rail infrastructure.
Addressing Minister for Finance Jack Chambers in the Dáil debate on the Apple revenues Leddin said: “This windfall offers us an unparalleled opportunity to invest in our future and rebalance our country.”
One of the most critical areas, he noted, is the need for rail infrastructure investment, which is outlined in the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. Specifically, he called for priority to be given to the development of a metropolitan rail system in Limerick and connecting Shannon Airport to the national railway network, which could be financed through the “Apple billions”.
“The Apple windfall is an opportunity to rebalance economic and population growth on our island. Whatever about hi-speed bullet trains, fairly modest investments in the network such as a rail link to Shannon and building out the Metropolitan Railway vision that is now in the Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (LSMATS) will support fast growth of both Limerick City and Shannon.”
The cost of constructing the link to Shannon Airport is estimated at €200 million in the All Island Strategic Rail Review (AISRR) and could be built within six years and would pave the way for high-density, affordable housing while driving economic growth in the Midwest Region.
In his contribution he highlighted the recent economic growth in Ireland but stressed that this success has come with challenges in housing, healthcare, energy, and transport, all of which have been exacerbated by a lack of strategic planning. “We find ourselves needing 60,000 new homes a year, not 30,000 as we once thought. In my home city of Limerick, we likely need a second model 4 hospital, not just an extension of the existing one. Our electricity, water, and wastewater infrastructure all require urgent upgrades.”
“The population targets set for regional cities like Limerick in the National Planning Framework Review must be revised, because if they're not revised, they won't justify the kind of investment that this Apple money could pay for that could lead to fast population growth and economic growth in Limerick and the Midwest.”
“We have incredible ambition in the Midwest for growth, but that growth can only happen if we build a metropolitan railway system connecting Shannon Airport, as is supported by the Strategic Rail Review, and which can be paid for using the Apple money. It should be one of the highest priorities of the Government to build this infrastructure and set the Midwest on a path of fast growth supported by metropolitan rail development, where rail will open up land for housing development - high density, high quality, affordable housing.”
“This is an opportunity to fundamentally rebalance our Island, reducing the strain on Dublin and encouraging growth in regional cities. Dublin is creaking at the seams. The answer is to invest in regions like the Midwest, and rail infrastructure is the fastest, most strategic way to do that,” he concluded.
The full transcript can be found here.
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