The Government is to appoint independent consultants to carry out a strategic review of all aspects of rail safety, the Minister for Public Enterprise announced.

Ms O'Rourke said it would take six months to complete and the findings would be made public. A year to 18 months after the delivery of the report, the consultants are to be asked to review how the company had implemented the recommendations.

"There have been a number of derailments recently and, although serious injury has not resulted, I believe the time has come for experts from outside Iarnrod Eireann to look at rail safety," she added.

"I know that safety is a number one priority with Iarnrod Eireann. The safety record of Iarnrod Eireann in terms of fatalities is one of the best in Europe."

Ms O'Rourke, who was responding to a Fine Gael private member's motion calling on the Government to provide the necessary investment to upgrade the national railway network, said that the review would centre on the adequacy of Iarnrod Eireann's safety policy, systems, rules and procedures.

It would also look at the safety of railway infrastructure and facilities, including track, signalling systems, rolling stock and level crossings. Any risk requiring immediate remedial attention is to be brought to the Minister's attention.

Ms O'Rourke said more passengers were using the railways, with more than 8.3 million using the mainline service last year and more than 19.5 million using the Dublin suburban services. "I am determined that these passengers should be able to travel in safety on good-quality rail services," she said.

She added that financial constraints had led to significant under-investment in infrastructural renewal and asset replacement in the railway. In 1993 the investment needed for the entire railway network was estimated at about £800 million over 30 years.

Fianna Fail in government had negotiated the first substantial rail renewal programme as part of the 1994-1999 community support framework and operational programme for transport, said Ms O'Rourke. Total investment in the mainline rail network over the six years would amount to more than £275 million.

"Priorities for investment were selected in many cases after comprehensive cost-benefit analyses had been carried by CIE and independent consultants appointed by the European Commission," the Minister said.

"As a result, the current investment programme is being focused on track renewal, modern signalling systems and rolling stock. The work being undertaken will result in increased safety, lower operating costs and shorter journey times."

Ms O'Rourke said work was ongoing to replace the outdated mechanical signalling system on mainline rail routes with a modern, cost-effective and centralised control system. "Significant work will be done on the Galway, Sligo, Tralee and Waterford routes. As a result, these lines as well as those to Cork, Limerick, Wicklow and Dundalk, will be equipped with modern signalling by 1999," she said.

The Fine Gael spokesman on public enterprise, Mr Ivan Yates, said there were routes with no investment programmes: Dublin to Rosslare, Mullingar to Sligo and beyond Athlone through Claremorris to Westport and Ballina. It was estimated that the cost of providing continuous welded rail, concrete sleepers instead of wooden ones, and automatic signalling on those routes was about £85 million.

The fundamental choice facing the Government was to gradually close those lines or modernise them, said Mr Yates. "No government can have it both ways. They cannot maintain regional access to these provincial towns with a less safe, less reliable service than is deemed appropriate by the relevant experts."

Mr Enda Kenny (FG, Mayo) said he had been using the rail line for most of his 20 years in the Dail. He believed in the system, because it was possible to move more people by train per hour than by any other method of transport.

There had been a series of line closures over the years. If they had still been open, they would be tourism assets generating income, said Mr Kenny.

Debate on the Fine Gael motion resumes tonight.