Mr. Dermot O'Leary:

Can I say in answer to Deputy O'Keeffe that my criticisms of the local authorities and the NTA and Government in general on this issue in particular are not an attack on them as individuals, but everyone passes the buck as to who is and is not responsible for infrastructure? The point I am making here - and maybe the committee should take it on board and do something about it effectively - is that someone should be given full responsibility for providing the infrastructure around bus stops for people with disabilities and be done with it. Whoever it is can then be lobbied and go to those people and say the infrastructure is not adequate. That body, be it the National Transport Authority or the local authority, can then lobby central Government for funds to do that. That is the point I am making there.

In terms of the points made to Mr. Delaney on accessibility, always remember one thing, there are a lot of commercial bus services that received licences from the National Transport Authority, commercial bus operators with fairly new fleets in many cases that are not wheelchair accessible either. It is important to remember the State has a responsibility here in the issuing of licences.

I came in today on a good news story and I want to leave on one. My criticism is hopefully constructive. Someone needs to take responsibility, that is all I am saying.