The people of Sligo, Galway and Mayo deserve better rail infrastructure

Dear Editor,

IN response to last week’s article by Cllr Marie Casserly’s in relation to the Wester Rail Corridor, I wish to state the following.

The opening of the western rail corridor is a major development objective in the Regional spatial and economic strategy that was adopted by the Northwestern Regional Assembly in January 2020.

The assembly comprises elected councillors from the north-west, and one of the assembly’s main statutory functions is the making and adoption of the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy. (RSES)

In January 2020 the regional assembly formally adopted the current RSES, and all the elected members voted in favour of opening the western rail corridor and rejected the greenway proposal.

Once a regional spatial and economic strategy is adopted it must then be approved by the government of the day, to ensure that it complies with its policies and all the relevant legislation. In April 2020, the government signed off on the RSES without amendments and deemed it to be in compliance.

At that point, the RSES is automatically transposed into the county development plans of Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Monaghan, Cavan and Donegal.

All local authorities are statue bound to comply with the development objectives of the RSES as it is a legally binding strategy that is formulated through a specific legislative and democratic process.

Contrary to Cllr Casserly’s assertion, the development objectives of the strategy cannot be vetoed, amended or indeed abandoned by reports, reviews or indeed feasibility studies. To do so would make a mockery of the democratic and legislative process.

All thirty councillors in Mayo support the opening of the western rail corridor, but in doing so we are simply complying with Government policy and the development objectives in the RSES. To that end, the Government are now committed to opening the line to Claremorris, and it is only logical that it should be continued into Sligo.

When we talk about schools, post offices and bank closures, lack of employment opportunities, abysmal broadband coverage and boarded up streetscapes, we need to realise that these are the symptoms of major infrastructural deficits and decades of discrimination.

Cllr Casserly’s characterisation of those of us who support the opening of the rail corridor as dewy-eyed sentimentalists who are full of nostalgia is quite absurd.

There is nothing nostalgic about a region and its people demanding balance regional development and equality of opportunity for its citizens.

In the words of the European Investment Bank. “Investment in modern and well-functioning infrastructure is regarded as the foundations for sustainable and inclusive development and growth.”

To that end our region deserves the same state of the art infrastructure as our fellow citizens along the east coast.

The greenway campaign might be well intentioned, but sadly it plays right into the hands of a Dublin political and bureaucratic elite that has consistently opposed the concept of balanced regional development.

Both nationally and regionally, the western rail Corridor constitutes critical economic infrastructure, strategically placed to play a pivotal role in the future regeneration of the west. It should not be sacrificed in the cause of political expediency.

The people of Galway, Mayo and Sligo deserve better. Second class infrastructure for second class citizens is no longer an option.

Try telling our next generation of young graduates that tourism and greenways is their economic salvation.

Sincerely,

Cllr Gerry Murray Charlestown County Mayo