Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Thank you, Chair, for giving me the opportunity to convey some of the frustrations and concerns of the residents of Dublin 15. I heard some of the commentary whereby the witnesses would not describe this as a crisis, but it is very much one for the people whom I meet who are missing essential medical appointments, those who are essential workers or those who are consistently late for school, college and work. It has been brewing for at least six months.

I will focus today on two local services about which I wrote this month to the NTA. The witnesses should believe me when I say it does not reflect the number of emails and representations that I receive about the other routes in the area. As it happens, one is provided by Dublin Bus and the other by Go-Ahead. I will start with Go-Ahead. The L52 was introduced in November 2021 under BusConnects. It was changed from the 239 from Blanchardstown shopping centre to Adamstown station. It is a local route. We have heard about how the patterns have changed, as people are making more journeys locally and there is more demand. It is a bus that is only hourly, yet it is not showing up. There are essential workers along the route. I will mention one in Westmanstown - Marymount Care Centre, which is a nursing home. The workers work 12-hour shifts at night and they come off their shift and wait for the local bus, which does not turn up. I see them with my own eyes every day. It states in the response that Go-Ahead would try to minimise the impact on low-frequency routes and try to prevent the first and last buses of the first day being missed. Go-Ahead is failing with that, and it has been happening since November 2021. It must change. I do not know if Go-Ahead is aware of the pressures private nursing homes are under at the moment. There is an article in the newspapers today which refers to inflation, finding accommodation for staff and that they cannot offer the same remuneration packages as the HSE.

Nursing home staff cannot get a bus home after a 12-hour shift looking after our most vulnerable people. This is not the first time I have mentioned it.

I will move on to Dublin Bus. These are issues that are happening in Tyrrelstown on the 38 and 39A on the M4. There are no-shows, delays, buses turning up full, buses arriving in threes, or buses cancelled at the last minute. In the morning there are not enough buses. If you go on Twitter and follow #DB70, you will see the consistent complaints from people missing their buses. Dublin Bus has a target of 98% of buses arriving within three minutes. What about Go-Ahead's targets in that regard? I have seen the fines that are being paid. Dublin Bus paid €1.5 million in fines and Go-Ahead paid €850,000.