WRITTEN QUESTION E-1429/99 by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Rail links in the island of Ireland.
8. 8. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 225 E/1 I (Information) EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER (2000/C 225 E/001) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1429/99 by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Commission (1 September 1999) Subject: Rail links in the island of Ireland Social, industrial and tourist activity in Western Ireland requires modern rail links as a means to remedy depopulation and bring about renewed economic life. What part do the rail needs of Western Ireland play in the strategy of the European Commission for rail links within Ireland and within Europe? Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (18 October 1999) Under Article 154 (ex Article 129b) of the EC Treaty the Community contributes to the establishment and development of the trans European network in the field of transport and takes account of the particular need to link island, landlocked and peripheral regions with the central regions of the Community. This objective is reflected in Decision No 1692/96/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (1). The Community recognised the strategic importance of the rail links in the west of Ireland through the identification within Annex I of the guidelines of the conventional rail lines between and to Sligo, Tralee, Galway and Limerick as part of the Trans European network. European funding of transport infrastructure has in the past five years been focussed on projects on Trans European network routes and hubs in all modes. For rail this has meant significant investment in infrastructure, particularly track and signalling. In western Ireland, 50 % of the £30 million cost of replacement track for the Galway and Sligo lines is being funded by the Community, as well as 85 % of the £4 million cost of resignalling them. These infrastructure improvements are being complemented by the commissioning of new rolling stock (diesel locomotives and carriages) also supported by the structural funds, which should provide a greater level of comfort and safety for patrons of the service. Most of western Ireland (the Border, Midlands and Western Region) will continue to receive funding from the European regional development fund (ERDF) as a region with full objective 1 status in the period 2000-2006. The Irish government is at the moment preparing the national development plan, which will form the basis for the negotiations with the Commission for the use of the structural funds in 2000-2006. No doubt infrastructure investments will be one of the major spending priorities under the next round of structural and cohesion funding to further improve the relative position of western Ireland. (1) OJ L 228, 9. 9. 1996