Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their attendance and the body of work they have completed. It is hugely important. I am a public transport user and you witness daily on public transport the level of intimidation of staff and customers and clients on the transport system. I am glad that this issue is being brought to the forefront by the witnesses, and it was good to see the Tánaiste acknowledge on Saturday night that there is a need to address this issue. I hope, arising from the witnesses' contribution today, that our committee can insist, through the Tánaiste's office and the Minister for Transport, that we need to engage with the likes of SIPTU and others involved in the sector who have first-hand knowledge and experience of what has happened, what is happening and what needs to be done to correct it. There is full support on this committee, I think, for SIPTU's report and the recommendations it make in it.

Only yesterday, I received a letter on behalf of Brazilian students here in Dublin, and they attached photographs with it. I was absolutely horrified when I read the letters and looked at the photographs and saw that young Brazilian students are being targeted at bus stops here in Dublin. It is a shocking indictment of our country. Literally because of their colour, they are being set upon and endangered. It is a problem in society and it is obviously a problem on public transport. Mr. Murphy mentioned a transport charter. Senator Boylan has covered the area of the dedicated policing unit. On the policing unit, how effective is the one model that is working with Irish Rail? Will the witnesses elaborate on the transport charter? What would they like to see in it, and what is its make-up? What should it be?