Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are all "green" but for some of us the G is upper-case and for others it is lower-case. It is probably the latter in my case. I am probably more motivated by a wish to decongest roads and save time. Environmental reasons matter to me a lot but I probably have a more selfish motivation to achieve decongestion and speed things up in the mornings, getting through-flow on roads. All of these issues point back to the same causal factors and solutions, some of which have been articulated by the Minister. It makes no sense that a 50-seat school bus drops off children and then pulls away from the school gate, while people in the same village are writing emails to Deputies and councillors about getting a rural bus service. It seems illogical to them that a Bus Éireann bus pulls away from the school gate because it is on a school contract and cannot take on any passengers. Greater integration of services are needed. I would love to see this happen.

My colleagues on the committee will probably hate me for saying this, as I keep saying it, but five buses equal one train and carry the same number of people. Bus services can be provided much quicker because the same infrastructure investment is not needed. All that is needed is a good route and schedule, buses and drivers and off it goes. While I buy into all of the high-level stuff we want in the national development plan, it sometimes feels a bit overstretched and too far away from people. Certainly in the west, people feel these projects are nice when they come up to Dublin for a day but they ask what they do day to day for other areas. A bus route is transformative.

Late-night trains have been discussed by the committee a few times. Many gardaí, teachers, nurses and others are obliged for work reasons to be in the city centre but cost-of-living and salary constraints mean they cannot live in the city centre and they have to travel home every evening. Will the Minister consider putting in place later trains each evening? That is a decision for Irish Rail but has the Minister had dialogue with the company? It is a logical thing to do. Does the Minister have an update on reinstating catering services on trains? My wife is hoping catering stays off the train but I would love a muffin every now and again when I am travelling up to the Dáil.