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

All of us, as well as the workers and trade unions in Dublin Bus, are working to get a public transport system that has the right network and frequency. I am concerned about people having to walk distances to get to spine services, particularly people with a disability or who have lung illnesses, problems with walking or issues with their hips or backs. At 50,000 people, this must be the biggest consultation we have had in this city for a long time and it shows that the people want to have a part in this process of change. I believe the National Transport Authority has responded in certain areas and has looked at the communities that used to only have spine services and nothing else. There are problems, of which I am not aware, with the outer areas but we are generally pleased with the changes in the Crumlin area, though we would like a few tweaks which will be the subject of submissions.

There was a big issue with the 122 and 123 services in Drimnagh and one wonders why changes are made when they are not necessary. There is a proposal that the 123 service become the 23 service and take a different route, down Mourne Road where previously it went down Galtymore Road. We are very pleased that it will still go to the hospital because the original idea was that it would no longer do so. The 122 service will become the 22 service and will go down Galtymore Road, Keeper Road, Herberton Road through Rialto and on to Donore Avenue. Mr. Creegan will tell me that anybody who wants to go to George's Street from there will just jump on another bus and change at the interchange. We set up WhatsApp groups about this and a lot of people are annoyed because the 122 link to George's Street was invaluable for those going to work and to schools. They are now being advised to get off and get on the old link to get where they need to be. They are pleased with the proposed 23 route but there is confusion.

Frequency is also an issue. The 123 service operates every ten minutes at peak time at the moment, after which it goes to 12 minutes, and it returns to a frequency of ten minutes in the afternoon peak. Now, however, the 23 will be run every 15 minutes off-peak and every ten minutes at peak times. The 22 service will run every half hour, having been more frequent previously, and we would like it to be more frequent. We will have a public meeting with the residents' associations in Drimnagh on this with a view to getting feedback.

I am concerned about the 68, 69 and 13 routes because I live on that stretch. They come from Rathcoole, Griffeen Avenue and run all the way down to Dutch Village and the Naas Road. It runs with the Luas line to Tyrconnell Road, into Inchicore and into town.

People on that line, particularly those in the Bluebell, Dutch Village, Ring Street and Tyrconnell Park areas, have had a frequent bus service, between the 68 and 69 services which generally run every hour, and the 13 route, which has a very good frequency. They have been served very well. Then there is the Luas stop at Blackhorse, which people use for various purposes. I have often used both services for different reasons, as have people in the community. People are very annoyed, however, that we will be given a 93 service along that stretch, which will run once per hour. We have had three bus routes with good frequency. I was advised by the person who gave the presentation we heard in the Alex Hotel that elderly people would be able to work around that hour because they know when the bus will come and can get it down to Thomas Street or the post office. The post office in Bluebell - these are small things - recently closed down, so if an elderly person needs to get down to the post office in Inchicore, he or she must walk down from Bluebell to Inchicore. That is an issue in itself. There is huge disquiet about this. There will be a public meeting next week on the line. I was advised that people could walk down to the workman's club, which would probably take ten or 12 minutes. It would take long enough for anyone with any kind of ailment or disability to get down there. People have to get off at St. Michael's and, if they are coming home and getting the G spine coming from Liffey Valley, they then have to walk for probably another 20 minutes to get up to the top. That must be reviewed. We will submit proposals, and the NTA will get people in the area to make proposals on that.

More generally, another issue I wish to raise is car parking and park-and-ride facilities. Is the NTA looking to some of the big shopping centres to provide park-and-ride services? Is that part of the strategy? The NTA should look at buying land and getting people to use such services because private parking will cost people a lot of money. They will then have to pay to use the public transport system.

I must delve a little more into the map because it represents a big change from the previous one and I am looking at different areas and routes and so on, but I give it a cautious welcome at this stage. The National Bus and Rail Union, NBRU, and the other transport workers' unions were hugely concerned about privatisation in the future. I get the impression that they cautiously welcome the newer proposals because there is a smaller chance of the service being privatised in this way and a greater chance of the old services being maintained in the current areas.

The only other question I wish to ask is whether 3 December is the final day for submissions. Could that date be put back a week or so? Would that be a major problem for the NTA? People are organising in their communities, having public meetings and trying to get organised and galvanised. They want to get those submissions into the NTA, so it would be appreciated if the date could be put back even a week.