Senators tell Minister it should be seen as a public service. Issue raised on regurally by passangers longer train routes, such as to Sligo, Mayo.Minister for Transport, Darragh OBrien, said he would prefer to see extra services rather than the provision of on-board cateringon long-distance Irish Rail services, but he did not answer that logic does not apply to the cateringservices on the Belfast-Dublin and Dublin-Cork routes.He was first asked about the provision of food and hot drinks on trains by Senator Nessa Cosgrove (Labour) before being pushed on the issue by Senator Mark Duffy (Fine Gael) at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport this week.I know Senator Cosgrove mentioned onboard catering, do you envisage that returning on the likes of the Mayo and the Sligo lines within the next year? Is something that you support? said Senator Duffy.Minister OBrien said: As I said to Senator Cosgrove, the issue is the choices that weve got to make some of the estimations in relation to the reinstatement of those services, its a very significant cost that relates to them, Id rather invest those monies in services. Senator Duffy said: But if we use that logic, should we then cost the catering under the Dublin to Cork line and add additional services on the Mayo to Dublin line. Using that logic?Minister OBrien said: Well, weve got to look at what weve got to do, which is to manage the demands within the transport sector, and thats what Im doing. So youve asked me directly, can I give you a commitment this year, the catering service, we brought back in those lines: No, I cant.Asked by Senator Duffy if hed like to see the cathering brought back, the Minister said: My priority is that Id like to see more services. If I have the choice between that and catering, it will be, it will be improved services above catering. I dont think it can be any clearer than that.Senator Cosgrove said: I know that [some] people consider trivial, but its not were not looking for the Trans-Siberian Express, were not looking for the Orient Express. We just want a basic service. So, Id just love to find out the justification of how [catering] can be returned on some routes and not on others.Minister OBrien said: If you look at the investment thats happening in our major train stations across the country, that the facilities are much, much better and will continue to improve both from a retrofitting perspective for accessibility, but also in relation to the facilities and the offerings that are there, particularly in our intercity train stations as well.First of all, I suppose our focus is on using the resources that we have to invest in the transport services themselves, he said. But I have listened as well, and it has been raised that we are looking at [catering], but theres a significant cost for it too.Senator Cosgrove said that products sold as part of catering on trains are not free but rather quite expensive. So, she said the 2 million a year cost estimate for providing catering on further lines surprised her.Minister OBrien said: If you take two million [euro], thats the equivalent of a new town bus service. So, do you do a new town bus service, or do you do cathering cart?He said his Department has asked Irish Rail and the National Transport Authority to look at cheaper alternatives to catering, but added that My focus has got to be on services and rightly so.Senator Cosgrove said: I understand that, but I would see it as providing a public service rather than seeing it as a, you know, as a kind of a profit-making service and the number of people that are using the trains in Sligo has significantly gone up. by 7.3 in one year.She said she gets contacted about the lack of catering all the time, including people using trains for medical appointments in Dublin.