Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am wary of asking questions that have already been asked. I welcome the witnesses from the NTA. More importantly, I acknowledge that there is a crisis in rural Ireland regarding access for people living there.

I would like to ask Ms Anne Graham why the National Transport Authority, NTA, only hears alarm bells ringing now. When we were going through the amendments to the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018, these issues were highlighted by many of my colleagues. We got no reaction from the authorities. Now, when the horse has bolted and the damage is done, we seem to be seeking a resolution. Some initiatives have been put in place, which I welcome. However, I have to ask why it is only now that the alarm bells are ringing in the NTA offices. The pilot scheme for a night-time rural bus link is nearing its completion at the end of March. It links up a few areas. Many areas are being considered for it. As the witnesses know, buses run on a timeframe. Rural Ireland can run on an ad hoc basis. Not everyone lives on the main artery roads or regional roads. People live on byroads or on the sides of hills. That is why I would welcome any proposal, such as a hackney service. Uber was suggested by one of our Ministers in the last few weeks. Anything that helps to get people from A to B at unsocial hours, for want of a better word, would help.

We also have an issue in the mornings after people have been socialising. Could this service be utilised in the morning too, by people who have short journeys to work, perhaps in the nearest town, but are afraid to drive?