CIE’s decision to include the new car park at Gorey train station in its plan for pay and display parking charges at stations on the greater Dublin rail network is unjust and grossly unfair to the travelling public.  So says Fine Gael Deputy Michael D’Arcy who has blasted the company’s decision to make travellers pay extra for parking.

“As someone who welcomed Iarnrod Eireann’s plan to establish car parking facilities at Gorey station, something I’ve been lobbying for many years to have done, I’m dismayed and extremely disappointed to now find they plan to make people pay extra to park there,” he said.

“I’m against the introduction of these charges to all 37 stations on the greater Dublin network,” Deputy D’Arcy added, saying “it’s grossly unfair and just another stealth tax hitting those who have to commute to and from Dublin for work.”

“The Government is supposed to be trying to reduce the amount of traffic going into the city.  Hammering rail users with extra charges will act as a huge disincentive to people to take the train to work.  You have to wonder what the Greens in Government are thinking of in allowing this to be done,” he said.

“Iarnrod Eireann is heavily subsidised by taxpayers – this year to the tune of 196 million – and I’m joining with my party colleagues in calling on the Minister for Transport to cut their subsidy by whatever amount CIE makes from hard-pressed commuters through pay parking if the Minister allows it to go ahead,” Deputy D’Arcy concluded..

Work on the new car park at Gorey railway station is due to get underway in September and be finished by December.