LABOUR NEWS Kilcock LABOUR RAISE UNACCEPTABLE TRAIN FARES FOR KILCOCK

COMMUTERS - STAGG EMMET STAGG TD My colleague Cllr. John McGinley raised the issue of the unacceptable Train Fares for Chief Whip Commuters in Kilcock at the Municipal District Meeting on Wednesday October 736 Lodge Park 8th. This followed on from a Motion John had at the September meeting which called on , Co. Representatives from Iarnrod Eireann and the National Transport Authority to attend a Municipal District Meeting on the issue of the exhorbitant Train Fares. Tel: 01 618 3013 / 618 3797 Email: [email protected] Four representatives from Iarnrod Eireann attended the MD meeting. Unfortunately, the National Transport Authority (NTA) who set the fares did not attend. John made the following points: Working with I Kilcock to Maynooth is €5.70. I Kilcock to is €7.70 whereas Maynooth to Dublin is €4.35 I Many students and shoppers from Kilcock use the service to Maynooth I Under the Regional Planning Guidelines (RPG’s) Kilcock is within the Metropolitan Area and as a result the Council is obliged to re-zone additional land for housing. However, the NTA or Iarnrod Eireann treat Kilcock as if it was in the Hinterland with the high rail fares.

Iarnrod Eireann responded by saying that:

I Maynooth is in the “short hop zone” and has been the western boundary of it for 20 CLLR. JOHN McGINLEY years 50 Greenfield Drive Maynooth, Co. Kildare I They have to apply to the NTA for a price increase Mobile: 087 9890645 John pointed out that 20 years is a long time in development terms and that it is time Email: [email protected] that Kilcock was brought into the “short hop zone”. John asked Iarnrod Eireann if they were going to make a submission to the NTA for a decrease in the fare between Kilcock and Maynooth. Regretfully they said that they would not be making a submission for a decrease as it would not be in their commercial interest.

On foot of Iarnrod Eireann's response I will now contact both the Minister for Transport and the National Transport Authority seeking the inclusion of Kilcock in the “short hop zone” and thereby bring the Train Fare Structure for Kilcock into the 21st Century.

Emmet M. Stagg T.D. 0612