Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Will the National Transport Authority have any role between now and then in instructing Irish Rail, or rail providers, to introduce other emergency measures to deal with the major capacity problems that are causing the commuting misery people are suffering? I will again use the example of the Sligo line. By the time the train gets to Longford it is full, but some 50 passengers are trying to get on at that stop. They have to try to squeeze in as best they can. Would it be possible to make buses available that would travel directly to Connolly Station in Dublin? That is what is necessary to deal with the increasing difficulty in securing capacity. There is a need for some interim measures to deal with the problem. I refer to the carbon tax and people using public transport. At the same time, however, we are not able to facilitate increased usage. Stating there will be new cars in 2022 is hardly an immediate solution. Are other measures being encouraged, looked at or directed by the National Transport Authority? Will it give a direction that buses will have to be on hand when trains are too packed? It could be a case where someone has a choice between being squeezed up against a window on the train or taking the bus directly to Connolly Station. In that case, the train ticket would be still be valid.