Madam, - I was delighted to read Cllr Michael Conaghan's letter (August 18th) highlighting the unfairness of railway building in Ireland.
The councillor was very angry that Ballyfermot, in Dublin, was ignored in the Kildare Route rail project even though the area of 20,000 people desperately needs a train service.
May I add to that West Cork, a huge expanse of land with a population of over 120,000, many of whom commute regularly to Cork City. It has no rail service of any kind whatsoever and hasn't had for over 47 years. We need investment in rail in this area immediately.
I'm angry that Noel Dempsey plans to push for a €2 billion, three-mile underground track to be built in Dublin to add to its already substantial public transport system, when for €400 million the whole of West Cork could be serviced by the building of an overland light rail. Something doesn't add up. Perhaps the Department of Transport, like many Leaving Cert students this year, simply doesn't like maths.
Sometimes I really feel like withholding my taxes if they are to go towards yet another train service for Dublin. - Yours, etc,
JACQUELINE COTTER, Skibbereen, West Cork.