A row has erupted over plans by Iarnród Éireann to sell off land at level crossings. There are fears that the sell-off may impact on plans to develop the Western Rail Corridor from Sligo to Limerick.
The company has advertised over 240 acres of land for sale by public tender. The land is in counties Sligo, Roscommon, Offaly, Laois and Tipperary. The Chairman of Galway County Development Board, Cllr Michael Connolly (FF), has described the plan as "ludicrous". He said the company had no right "to sell-off national assets that could be developed in the future".
Cllr Connolly, a supporter of the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor, said: "This is another harebrained project from Irish Rail. I wonder if there was any consultation with the government before the sell-off plans were announced." He added: "This is Irish Rail operating in isolation again."
Concern was also expressed by Mayo Senator Jim Higgins (FG) that there was no consultation with "stakeholders" on the matter.
"Everybody knows that there is a big campaign among the western counties to reopen the Western Rail Corridor. Why they would sell off land without clarifying it with stakeholders is a mystery."
Mr Myles McHugh, Irish Rail, said the decision to sell land was taken because the level crossings in question had been upgraded and the land was surplus to requirement.