Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are here to discuss the issue of a sustainable rural Ireland. I come from a part of the country that is the most rural - the Mizen Peninsula in south-west Cork. Unfortunately, we do not have a rail service and never will. At one time there was a rail line to Schull, but the tracks were pulled up and thrown away. We do not have a Luas service either. Therefore, we depend on having a good bus service. There is an excellent rural transport service, the name of which was recently changed to Local Link. Much of its success is down to good local management in knowing exactly where the needs are and how to meet them. We also receive a fairly good service from Bus Éireann. We have to show understanding. We live in rural Ireland and know that we will never have an hourly bus service. At the same time, much of the success of the service is down to having good regional managers in place. Will they be in place in the future? That is a critical question. I do not envisage a good service to rural Ireland if the service is managed from Dublin. I envisage a good service being delivered or the service being enhanced or bettered in some way if it is managed locally. That is important and something I am watching closely. If the regional managers are taken away, we will know straightaway where we are going. I am concerned about this.

Another major issue has been brought to my attention in my role as a public representative. A bus leaves the Mizen Peninsula every morning at 7.30 a.m. or 8 a.m. from Goleen. It travels through west Cork, serving Beara, Bantry and other areas. The problem is the price of fares. Young people say to me that they want to travel on the bus but that they cannot do so because they cannot afford the fare. They are trying to car pool and so on. It costs €24 to travel to Cork, which is ridiculous for anyone but especially young people. This is something that needs to be examined. If the company wants to fill the buses, it has to examine its fares. There is no point in it suggesting it is providing a service but that few people are using it. The reason people do not use it is they cannot afford the fare. Bus Éireann could fill or partially fill the buses if there was a common-sense approach to fares.

My other concern relates to the jobs lost in the Expressway service. Will the changes lead to a loss of jobs? If so, how many will be lost? I realise Bus Éireann is in a difficult position. My primary concern is for services to west Cork, but I am also keen to ensure rural communities have a good bus service. As I said, we do not have a Luas service and we are continuously being told that we cannot drink and drive and so on. People living in isolation in rural areas are totally dependent on having a good Bus Éireann and a good rural transport service. There is an excellent rural transport service in County Cork, but if we do not have local regional managers to look after Bus Éireann services, people living in rural Ireland will be at a loss. That cannot be allowed to happen.