Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I want to comment on what I have heard so far. I am listening to this with my hat from outside of the Dáil on me. The public is listening to us as we prepare for the buses to be pulled from the road next week. It is possible that this will have a contagion effect on other bus, DART and rail services. I cannot imagine how angry people must feel as they listen to a highly-paid Deputy who has been appointed as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport saying that it is not his job to intervene, that he does not identify the actual positions of cuts here and there and that it would be inappropriate, unhelpful and improper for him to have anything to do with interfering in this dispute. The Minister's comments do not make an iota of sense to individual members of society who will be standing in the lashing rain throughout the month of March as they wait for some kind of bus service, or to workers and their families who will be on the picket line and left without wages, security or certainty. I ask the Minister to listen to what he is saying. I know he is not lying to us, but I suggest he is failing to take responsibility for a national disaster. He is not making an everyday decision about whether there should be a route here or an increase there. If this strike takes place, it will be a national disaster. The Minister needs to listen to what he is saying. He should think about this issue from the point of view of Joe Public and indeed the workers.

I have given the report a cursory glance because we received it at a late stage. I would like to ask a number of questions and make a few points. There has been a 111% increase in capacity on the Dublin-Limerick route over recent years. That capacity was awarded to private operators by licensing through the NTA, but the Bus Éireann service on the route is being cut. The NTA's comment on that cut is that a high volume of services already exists on the route. Of course that is the case.