I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 53 together.
As the Deputies may be aware, the all-island strategic rail review is being undertaken in co-operation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. The results of the review will inform the development of the railway sector on the island of Ireland over the coming decades to 2050, in line with net carbon-zero targets in both jurisdictions.
The review is considering the future of the rail network with regard to improving sustainable connectivity between the major cities, including the potential for higher or high speed; enhancing regional accessibility; supporting balanced regional development, with a particular focus on the north west; and improving rail connectivity to our international gateways, including the role of rail freight.
The review is considering the scope for improved rail services and infrastructure along the various existing, or potential future, corridors of the network, including disused and closed lines. The review has been informed by a public consultation process that concluded last year and which received a significant response both North and South.
This is the first all-island review of the rail network since the formation of the State and will provide a framework to develop a much-improved rail network in the decades ahead. Work on the review is now at an advanced stage and it is expected that a draft will be published for the purposes of strategic environmental assessment, SEA, public consultation in July. Following the SEA process and finalisation of the report, it will be submitted for the approval of the Government in the autumn.
In parallel with that process, the report will also be submitted for approval to the Minister for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. Should there continue to be an absence of Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive, final approval and publication will be considered taking into account the relevant decision-making framework and legislation in Northern Ireland at that time. It is expected that the final review will be published in autumn 2023.