Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We will look for clarity on that matter. We hope to have that clarity next week. This is happening at a particular time and there is acceptance across the board that at this point we need a solution that does not involve heaping more pressure on people and businesses that cannot afford it.

Maybe we need to look at the means and communications by which that happens between TII, the Department and the Minister.

On those sorts of communications, an issue was brought to me by a number of bus operators when they spoke about their routes. I am not entirely sure how this would be in play, but there are two aspects. Their concerns are in relation to the M1 and the amount of time their buses end up being stationary. Obviously there is an environmental cost and a cost to them. Is there a means by which buses could be facilitated with free-flow movement? Beyond that, there was talk about the issue we have, for example in Dublin at the minute, with the huge amount of traffic. It is not necessarily buses and public transport. Again, a number of us may be part of that problem. It has been said to me by a number of commuters that at times, they are not getting the bang for their buck on buses, in the context of time saved, that they would have previously. People have spoken previously about the example of going into Belfast when there are times the hard shoulder is facilitated for a period on the run into the city so that buses can use that. It would make buses more attractive and it would mean people could get to work on time and all of the rest. It fits into what the Government and all of us want to do around getting more people onto buses and public transport. I took a long time to say that.