In May this year Irish rail told an Oireachtas committee that any future development at Dublin Port must involve rail connections. Dublin Port has no plan to introduce rail but insist on using hundreds of heavy diesel guzzling container trucks each day.

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Glenn Carr, director of commercial business units at Irish Rail and Rosslare Europort, said he did not agree with the Dublin Port’s expansion plan in its current format.

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“We believe that any inland port facility of a scale of that nature must be rail connected,” he said.

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“We will be engaging on that footing at all times in regards to conversations with Dublin Port.”

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It’s a threat to our economic future

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Mr Carr contniued: “We have to be very careful that if Ireland doesn’t offer a sustainable way to move their goods, the decision-makers in time may make other decisions for their plants to be developed elsewhere.

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“And they are the conversations we’re having with multinationals today.”

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Speaking at the same Oireachtas Committee meeting Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD said he was also against Dublin Port’s plan. He said the approach being adopted was not sustainable.