Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty has told the Dáil it is "simply unacceptable" that Donegal is among a few counties on the island of Ireland which still has no rail network, describing it as "a forgotten county".
Speaking during a broader discussion on the All Island Strategic Rail Review, Mr Doherty said investment in rail infrastructure in the northwest was "absolutely crucial".
Mr Doherty acknowledged that the review has proposed linking Derry and Letterkenny, but added that a direct line between Dublin and Derry was needed.
"It is absolutely appalling, and it shows the effects of partition that we simply do not, in this day and age, have a connection between those two cities," he said.
He said it was important to make sure that Donegal was "no longer a forgotten county" and that he wanted to see commitments from Government to push this forward.
"Donegal is simply forgotten in terms of rail. It can’t go on anymore."
Party colleague Pa Daly said the northern and western region ranks in the "bottom 20 of the EU’s 234 regions in terms of transport infrastructure", which he said was "incredible" in a modern, progressive country.
"Rural Ireland particularly in the west and northwest have suffered immensely from this."
He said mistakes cannot be repeated and that the review "corrects some of the wrongs of the past".
Minister of State at the Department of Transport Seán Canney said the Programme for Government was clear in the "need to continue investment in our national rail network".
The minister described the All Island Strategic Rail Review published in July last year as a "groundbreaking report" that set out a strategic vision for the development of Ireland’s rail system over the coming decades.
Mr Canney said the review encourages "balanced regional development", with a particular emphasis on the northwest of the island.
He said decisions made in this decade about rail "will similarly benefit the Irish people, the economy and the environment to the end of this century and beyond".
Mr Canney said the review looked at "existing, disused and potential new lines" on the network and considered the future role for rail freight.
He said 32 strategic recommendations were made to enhance and expand the system before 2050.
Ireland’s single-track network will be upgraded to double tracks, he said.
"New 200km/h intercity trains will provide faster services," said Mr Canney, adding that journey times between cities will be halved in some cases.
He said trains will go at least hourly between cities and at least every two hours on regional and rural routes.
Mr Canney said that 700,000 more people would live within 5km of a train station.
He said his department and stakeholders are now looking at how to best implement these recommendations.
