Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My first issue is consultation. Last week in the Dáil during Leaders' Questions I asked about the consultation period being much too short. I note that it has been pushed out to 28 September, but it should be extended until October, given the extent of issues to be discussed. Last Monday week when I looked at the plan for my area, it was apparent that one would have to have the existing routes on one side and the proposed routes on the other and to examine them in minute detail to find out which areas had been affected. One can see it fairly well on the two big maps. I propose that the NTA further extend the consultation period.

Another issue about which I want to ask the NTA is the public survey that was carried out. It was said more than 12,000 people had responded, or approximately 1% of Dublin's population. Dublin Bus carries 140 million passengers every year. It was said that was an unprecedented level of response. What is the normal response level for such surveys carried out by the NTA? Does it ensure specific groups are included in surveys such as people with a disability, older people aged over 60 years, students who travel to college or drivers?

When I saw the map, I noticed that services along the coastline looked to be well connected. It looks really good in Rathmines and Rathgar and across the city, but as one moves out into working class areas, the difference between the current and proposed routes is evident. The service to estates is affected. The NTA referred to a 15 minute walk in the context of connectivity and jumping off one service and onto another. Services in certain areas are being wiped out. From what I can see on the maps, there is a real loss of service in areas on the periphery. Up to 99 people are to be brought on double-decker buses every five minutes and dropped off to interconnect with a 28 seater Mercedes bus service which will come every 15 to 20 minutes. That means huge queues of people will be dumped off in the connection area who will have to wait 20 minutes or more for the next bus which will only be a 28 seater. That is what it looked like to me initially, but I accept that I will have to look at the proposal in more detail.

I do not have a car and use the bus every day. I use public transport everywhere. There is good connectivity throughout the city. Bus stop No. 1987 is serviced by the 13, 69 and 68 bus routes. The 69 bus route serves Rathcoole. The 68 bus route serves Newcastle. It services the Bulfin estate and cuts through the South Circular Road all the way down into South Great George's Street. These three bus services are being taken off the route and will be substituted by the 63 bus which will come every hour. I will be at the bus stop in Inchicore waiting for the 63 bus every hour. I will be able to go to the Blackhorse tram stop and get on the Luas, but capacity on the Luas at peak times in the morning is inadequate. I do not know whether the NTA has checked whether capacity on the Luas can be increased to allow extra passengers to get on at that point and travel further into the city. That means that a lot of people will have a 15 minute walk to the next bus stop at the working man's club which oeople do not know is in Inchicore village. The existing 40 bus service has been changed to the G spine and will come every five minutes. We only made representations to Dublin Bus about four months ago because of the queues waiting at the bus stop at the working man's club. When I go there between 7.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m., there are 20 to 25 people waiting for a bus.

The 13, the 69 and the 68 will not go down that road but there will be a G-spine bus every five minutes at peak times. There will be problems for everybody further down the road as a result. In Drimnagh, there will be a complete clearout of 123 and 122 buses and there will be no connectivity with St. James's Hospital for any bus route. The 68 will be gone and students will have to go down the orbital route to Rialto Bridge and try to get access to a bus there to take them to the Synge Street schools.

This is the biggest change to have been proposed for this city and it has been done too quickly. Somebody said there would be a 15-minute walk but for older people that is a long walk, as it is for people with disabilities. Waiting times are long and I am not convinced that it connects people. In fact, it seems to disconnect people from public transport. Does the NTA view the big spinal routes as being privatised in the future, perhaps in four or five years' time? They are the areas where there is big capacity and usage. I hope the NTA can give a "Yes" or "No" answer to that.

There is no true connectivity to the national children's hospital as the 18 and 17 are being redirected. There will be no access to colleges such as UCD and buses have been taken completely out of the Crumlin area, now having to go around the periphery of the estates there. That has a serious impact on people and communities. We are having a public meeting at the Crumlin GAA club next Tuesday and we will see what response there is to that aspect of the plans. It should be interesting.