An Irish Rail train entering the tunnel at Heuston Station going under the Phoenix Park. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons/ The Irish TimesIrish Rail needs a full time executive chairman in view of the scale of transformation at the State-owned company, its outgoing chair told Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien in his letter of resignation. He was due to serve as non-executive chairman of the rail company until 2029. “However, it is my view that the scale of transformation Irish Rail is going through needs an exec, rather than non-exec chair to provide the appropriate level of oversight and support. Irish Rail and Dublin Bus are operational companies under the broader CIE group structure.

Source: The Irish Times March 16, 2026 08:46 UTC