Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Kent for appearing before the committee. I reiterate the remarks of my colleagues in terms of the thanks we wish to pass on to the staff of Bus Éireann for keeping services going, especially for those who depend on public transport and do not have access to a car to get them through these difficult times. It is much appreciated and acknowledged.

I wish to elaborate on the last point made by Mr. Kent. I believe we need to shift the focus a little from investment in roads to investment in public transport, both bus and rail. The national planning framework seeks to ensure balanced regional development. The NDP is up for review. I believe there has to be significantly higher investment in public transport to meet not just the objective of balanced development, but also to ensure that when we seek to build houses, it is transport-orientated development.

We cannot be building houses everywhere depending on car transport. When Mr. Kent looks at how Bus Éireann can deliver balanced development, and he said that he knows rural transport as well as anybody else having been at it for so long, is the organisation limited in its fleet numbers? Obviously it is limited in its fleet numbers to the service. Is there a service static steady State view of public transport so that if Bus Éireann had more fleet and higher ambition that was supported it could supply a lot more rural bus transport?