Clare Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe has called on the government to apply the same strategic funding model used for new rail stations in Cork and Kildare to help deliver the long-awaited railway station at Crusheen.
Deputy Crowe was speaking following the government’s announcement of a €27 million investment from the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF) to fast-track three new train stations at Blarney, Water Rock, and Maynooth West to unlock major local housing developments.
“The funding model announced this week proves that when we align housing policy with transport policy, we can slash bureaucratic red tape and deliver critical infrastructure years ahead of schedule,” said Deputy Crowe. “The government has made it clear that regular, reliable rail services are a great way to drive sustainable housing growth. If that approach works for Cork and Kildare, it can absolutely work for Clare. Crusheen is an ideal candidate for this exact type of support.”
The Clare TD highlighted that Crusheen is a rapidly growing community positioned right on the Western Rail Corridor, making it a prime location for infrastructure-led housing development.
“Crusheen has immense potential for growth. We have a community that is expanding, a prime location, and a clear need for sustainable commuter links to Ennis, Limerick, and Galway. Unlocking that potential relies on getting commuters off the road and onto the tracks.
“The Minister for Housing noted that this fund was specifically designed to stop housing-enabling infrastructure from being delayed by bureaucracy. I am engaging with both the Department of Housing and the Department of Transport to see how we can look at Crusheen through this exact same lens. We need to move Crusheen rail station from a long-term plan into an active priority infrastructure project that can unlock homes and sustain our local community.”
Deputy Crowe confirmed he will be working with government colleagues and Clare County Council to explore how Crusheen can benefit from future rounds of HIIF allocations.
Meanwhile, Deputy Crowe has stated that a vital flood mitigation project for the Limerick-to-Ennis rail line cannot be allowed to fall between stools any longer due to a lack of inter-agency leadership.
Deputy Crowe was speaking following an exchange at the Oireachtas Transport Committee with Mary Considine (CEO of Irish Rail), where he raised serious concerns about the vulnerability of the line at Ballycar as winter weather sets in.
“The Committee was told that while an engineering solution was designed back in 2020 by a stakeholder group including Clare County Council and the OPW, the project is completely stalled,” said Deputy Crowe. “The core issue is that no single body has been appointed as the lead agency, and no funding has been allocated to actually do the work.
“It is deeply frustrating for Clare commuters to face the threat of prolonged line closures every single winter when a designed solution is already sitting on a shelf. Because the source of the flooding occurs away from the track itself, it sits outside of Irish Rail’s direct remit. However, our rail infrastructure is the casualty every time it rains heavily.”
The Clare TD confirmed he is contacting both the Minister for Transport and Clare County Council to urge a collaborative approach to break the deadlock.
“The stakeholder group needs to be reconvened with a clear mandate. We need an honest conversation between the Department, the local authority, and the OPW to formally designate a lead agency and secure a dedicated funding stream. We cannot simply sit back and wait for the line to submerge this winter before taking action,” Deputy Crowe concluded.