Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations and supplying their opening statements in advance, especially the NTA as the appendix to its submission was very helpful and useful.

In terms of the Luas, I have travelled with people with disabilities on the Luas and it has been a very user-friendly experience. However, the problem is with the frequency of services. For instance, pre-Covid when one boarded the Luas early in the morning at the Bluebell Luas stop space was at full capacity. How is that situation factored into reviews and where does it appear?

At the moment we are providing much cycling infrastructure and providing segregated cycling lanes. What level of interaction or consideration is given to wheelchair users and people who are visually impaired crossing roads, particularly in Dublin? Have consultations taken place in that regard? How much are the organisations present involved in the outdoor dining modifications - for instance, to ensure that footpaths are on a par with the levels necessary for outdoor dining? Have such aspects been considered? Obviously, the visually impaired are having difficulties.

I refer to an issue concerning the placement of bins, which is an issue that I have only encountered once and that was in the last week. I have yet to see it for myself. Last week, I got a phone call from a person who said that there is a bin that appears to be very close to a bus stop and that perhaps it will be difficult to access a bus due to the proximity of the bin to the bus stop. Everything is new and newly done up but I assume that there is some pro formaset out for that. I am sure that when I measure the place with my ruler that I will find that this will not be the case. What is the process for setting that up? Is it similar to what happens with roundabouts provided by the NTA where there is a set specification stipulated?

A question that has been raised is as follows. Bus drivers are often put in a very difficult position so do not have the power to move people who have a buggy from a wheelchair zone within a bus. Can the witnesses suggest what we, as Oireachtas Members, should do about the matter? Should we call for a statutory instrument or something to empower bus drivers? I am sure that bus drivers do not want to end up in a conflict situation but want to able to ask passengers to move on. Some wheelchair users have told us that if a person with a buggy is in the wheelchair zone on buses, then it becomes very difficult and perhaps wheelchair users cannot get on the buses.

I am aware that when a bus driver has to jam on his or her brakes there is no seatbelt in the wheelchair zone. Is there a possibility of providing a seatbelt?

The admission of a service dog on to a bus is at the discretion of the driver and service dogs are not always accepted. I ask the witnesses to indicate the policy regarding service dogs and where we can direct people to find out more information about the policy.

I would like to feedback from the witnesses on how the Just a Minute, JAM, card is being used. It was a really good development so well done on that.

There is travel assistance programme. Are people using it again? Has there been an uptake in light of vaccination levels, and people coming back out into their communities.