North South Cooperation

[Derek Wheeler]

NORTH SOUTH MAKES SENSE
17th January 2006

DALLAT CALLS FOR AN ALL-ISLAND BODY TO RUN RAILWAYS

East Derry SDLP Assembly Member John Dallat, a long-time campaigner to save the Derry-Belfast railway has called for an all-island body to run the railways across the island of Ireland North and South.



Mr Dallat stated:



“The partition of Ireland almost killed off the railways north of the border and it is a miracle that we have any left but we are getting nowhere while two separate companies, Translink and Iarnod Eireann, are operating separately. It doesn’t make sense and it severely restricts efforts to deliver an all-island strategy which will serve the people of Ireland in the next twenty-five years.



Translink is constantly in the news for the wrong reasons but it isn’t enough to lambaste their shortcomings or mistakes. Change has to take place and take place without delay if the professionalism, expertise and benefits of a larger scale operation are to be achieved. A holistic approach is urgently needed and the only intelligent way to do that is to set up a body or company with specific responsibility for the future development of our railways from Derry to Kerry.



While the all-island bodies set up under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement to take charge of the Waterways of Ireland has been severely hampered by the continual suspension of the Assembly there is no doubt that in a time much shorter than many people believe, there will be a complete transformation of water-based tourism. The same is true of Tourism Ireland. How much more likely is it that rail transport can be transformed on an all-island basis with financial backing from both governments and the European Union?”



ENDS

17/01/06