Mr. Padraic Moran:

Thee Government provides subvention to Irish Rail in terms of funding. I am aware that because of austerity, many services were cut but having staff in stations will be a great help. When I go to another country I do not have to check if I need to give someone notice.

Irish Rail states one should check the website. If I were a tourist, I would not check a website if I must give notice. One thing is if there were some way in which Irish Rail could be given more help in terms of subvention. There is no accountability from Irish Rail, however, because if there was, this would not keep happening. Irish Rail says mine are isolated incidents. I have an awful lot of isolated incidents. Irish Rail sends its PR gurus out to say it does 100 things every day and nothing goes wrong. The only reason mine are known about is they are reported publically.

How many cases are happening that we do not know about? That is my other point. Where is the accountability? Irish Rail is not being held accountable for anything. It just gives an apology. An apology means nothing. We want equal rights and equal access. We want the same human rights. We do not want to beg, plead and be a pauper to ask for help to get on a train. That is a fundamental right. I am unable to drive because I have a startle reflex. I depend on the DART.

Last Sunday night, I watched the Superbowl. I decided at 8 p.m. that I wanted to do that. I did not know I was going to do it until 7.30 p.m. However, because Bray has a person in the station I was able to go from there. The problem was whether Pearse Station had more than one staff member so that someone could be sent to Lansdowne Road to take me off. Fundamentally, it is about putting staff into stations and putting funding that was taken out back into the system. Perhaps the Minister, Deputy Ross, could look at that.

The ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will help because there is going to be some accountability to the effect that people with disabilities will be given respect and be treated like equal citizens of our nation as we have equal rights to a service.