Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

To go back to the subject of bus poles, I hear what Mr. Gaston is saying, namely that capacity seems to be a huge issue. Has the Minister been asked for additional funding to get people on the ground? The local authorities are telling me they have new active travel staff but that none of their jobs requires them to have anything to do with bus stops. They are busy working on walking and cycling routes. If there is a need in this regard, it must be addressed. I know from talking to engineers that they do not have enough people on the ground doing physical work to keep up with all the demand, between active travel and everything else. Let us have a clear ask concerning what is needed. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is always the man for the funding of all these things. He cannot be accused of anything other than throwing a lot of money at this situation. What is actually needed? Is it more physically able people on the ground in local authority areas who are able to put in the poles? What is the solution? What is needed? Let us ask the Minister for it. The NTA and local authorities are the ones to make a request of, if this has not been done already.

My next point is on the Ennis bus. Of all the bus aspects, the process in this regard is unnecessarily long. What is the barrier? I am aware that the local authority is doing everything it can and wants the bus yesterday, so there is no blockage on its part in this instance, yet the NTA is saying it wants everything done and the infrastructure in before putting out the tender, which will take another nine months or a year. I asked why it was waiting until it was all done to put out the tender but it did not have an answer.

Are Connecting Ireland staff definitely sitting down with Irish Rail staff to consider existing and proposed services to ensure timetables are co-ordinated? I would like a clear answer on that.

What is the definition of rural transport? Is Ennis rural? Where does it stop? What is the witnesses' vision regarding it? Are the NTA witnesses saying the plan is to accept no bikes on buses unless they fold up? I believe this was said. If so, we are talking about Bromptons, which cost three or four grand. Fold-up bikes cannot be the only option. That would not be acceptable. We need proper, safe, secure shelters in which to lock up our bikes. I do not accept that we can never have bikes on buses. I have costings for bike rails on buses. It has been done in other jurisdictions.

I have been told the active travel fund is to go towards major towns only. The engineers have been told this at local authority level. Is it true that they cannot put any active travel funding towards rural towns and villages and that it can only go to urban areas? They were told funding could go only to Ennis and Shannon in Clare and that there was not a penny for anywhere else. What is the guidance on the rural bus stops? I would love to have a copy so we can get the ball rolling. I will do anything I can to help address the bus stop fiasco.