Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Okay. Deputy MacSharry made a point about transport police. I attended the NBRU conference in August or September and what came up most strongly was the risk. I heard about criminal behaviour rather than anti-social behaviour. I accept that is a policing issue, but it does put people off using public transport if they feel they are mixing with people engaged in criminal behaviour. I endorse the argument that has been made, although I believe we need a dedicated transport police. It is not a case of silence and consensus and only one person raising it. There is a significant issue involved.

I wish to raise a couple of other issues. I will use my own constituency as an example although it is not the only area affected. I refer to the use of the Leap card and Bus Éireann services that are within the commuter belt. Perhaps what I call the commuter belt and what the NTA defines as the commuter belt are two different things. I refer to the Leap card discount on the 139 and 126 services. Is the NTA involved in that regard? Does it seek to include people in the 90 minutes journey time, for example, if they are using a Leap card? Are there plans to expand the Leap card in the future beyond this network to sizeable functional areas going towards the city centre?

Will the witnesses give the headline figures for BusConnects or forward them to the committee?

What is the capital investment side? In terms of widening pavements, transfers, new bus stops and all of that, what is the capital side in totality or the estimated amount? Is it fully funded? What is the cost of BusConnects in its totality? I would like a headline figure.

The point has been made that the money is not in the bag. I remember when the strategic development zone, SDZ, in Adamstown was being designed. A selling point for it was that the zone would not increase congestion in Lucan because there were going be a train station and dedicated bus services. Schools were going to be put in before the houses and all of that. The economy then got into very significant difficulty and a lot of the project did not happen. It is absolutely the right thing to plan something on a presumption. However, I am sure one can understand when there are examples why people will not entirely take it at face value that the money will be forthcoming. What commitments are being made or sought into the future that can strengthen the situation? Do the witnesses have ideas on how this could be assisted?