Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I meant the travelling population from Clonmel to Waterford. The population of Clonmel, which is 17,140, is four times the population of Athenry but as the Chairman knows, nobody is using the train. That is not surprising because the train leaves at 10.38 a.m. and arrives at 11.29 a.m. Similarly, one would leave at 7.45 p.m. and would get home at 8.45 p.m. Given a very small town like Athenry has achieved such numbers, has the Department conducted a study on the potential, should the four parameters I mentioned be co-ordinated? I think one would find similar outcomes on the east coast, where there are frequent services into Dublin.

I have two more questions. Has the Department developed or is it developing a commuter rail policy in line with the spatial strategy? Not everybody wants to live in an area of housing density, and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport should forget that long-time dream that will not happen because people do not do what the Department wants them to do. They will do what they want. If people want to live in Tuam, they will live in Tuam, and travel to work. The same applies in every area. If they want to live in "Cloneedebonk", they will live there. That is the way it is. I am focusing on policy. Allowing that my assessment of what people will really do is correct, has the Department a plan to develop commuter policy into the cities of Galway, Waterford, Cork and Limerick along the existing rail network, including open and closed railway lines? There are three classes of railway lines, open, semi-open - I count Nenagh to Limerick as semi-open and Limerick Junction to Waterford as semi-open - and real open railway lines. Is the Department developing a policy on this?

There is a little known provision in law in rural areas for rural hackney cars, Public Service Obligation, PSO, vehicles. It is nearly impossible to get this licence. How many PSO vehicles have active licences? I got an answer before and it was minuscule. Is it intended to review the PSO vehicle licence to ensure there would be an attractive arrangement for public service vehicles in every small country area, particularly since the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport was diligent in introducing the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018? I am absolutely against drink-driving and I wish we could do something about the people who are driving when five times over the limit, but if one goes out for a meal or an event in a rural area, there is no service that will bring people the four or five miles to their home. When one tries to ensure there are local PSO vehicle licences, one is told there are five taxi licences, but those with a taxi licence are working in the city as they are not confined to a local area and are not available when one needs them. Will the Department review that and will the officials look at a policy of introducing an attractive PSO local-based licence system for new entrants, which would mean that such a licenceholder would have to pick up and deliver a person within a certain radius? This would fill a very big black hole in terms of rural transport services that people living in urban areas take for granted.