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Unread 29-02-2012, 04:10   #166
Colm Moore
Local Liaison Officer
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan French View Post
I know that this sudden political interference is unsettling, but it’s probably better than the old attitude of “I’ve no intention of intervening in IR’s decision-making”. The problem is not so much that one politician is pushing a local project, but that others, in other places, are not pushing theirs. If pressure were to come from several places at once, the whole scene would change. IR would no longer be able to dig their heels in when the need for an improved timetable is glaringly obvious. It’s like what is beginning to happen with the threat to rural national schools; if one place is looking to keep its school, that’s seeking a favour; if several places nationwide are looking to keep their schools, it needs a change in the decision-making process.
To be honest, there is little difference in this type of interference and "we'll demand it, but not use it" and the 'buy the election' mentalities that spend €100m on the WRC or any number of other wacky projects.

Ministers and government should set high level policy structures, not demand specific services. The mid-level should be down to the NTA and the day to day running down to the operators.

Without wanting to get into discussing schools, let us discuss train stations instead. If I change your text.

Quote:
It’s like what is beginning to happen with the threat to train stations ; if one place is looking to keep its train station, that’s seeking a favour; if several places nationwide are looking to keep their train stations, it needs a change in the decision-making process.
I wouldn't absolutely agree. The provision of stations should be down to what socio-economic benefit they deliver and some thresholds should exist. Some stations are very poorly used, while other places could do with a station (or indeed a second station). Potentially some standard needs to be set such that the most people are served with what resources are available and while nobody should be screwed over, there are some services (not restricting that to trains) that are living on borrowed time. The people of East Wall / North Strand / Ballybough suffer all of the inconvenience of the railway, but have little of the convenience. Oranmore, Blackpool, Ballyfermot or Phibsborough-Glasnevin should have had stations long before Crusheen or Ardrahan. Should Crusheen or Woodlawn keep their unused stations, but Nenagh or Clonmel (assuming meaningful services can be put in place within the current cost constraints) lose theirs?
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Last edited by Colm Moore : 29-02-2012 at 04:36.
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