Mr. John Murphy:

We only have anecdotal evidence. The Deputy probably has seen in the last few years advertisements on the sides of buses looking for drivers. Not only Dublin Bus but also Bus Éireann and Go-Ahead struggle to recruit. Thankfully, we have full employment and this is one of the symptoms. Anecdotally, given the issues faced by female drivers and people from ethnic minorities in particular, the companies think there is a reluctance among people to take or apply for roles. Unfortunately, when people are driving or checking tickets on public transport, they are isolated to a great degree, so they are exposed to antisocial behaviour. We all saw what happened in November with the riots on the streets. Hopefully, that was a once-off but there are day-to-day issues to be faced.

Some of our representatives were interviewed when we launched this campaign and they gave evidence and accounts to various media about the issues they faced, particularly being stalked on social media just for doing their job or maybe because they tackled somebody who was doing things wrong on a platform, at a train station or on a bus service. Given the ease of access, people were stalking them and their families. It is something that has to be tackled but, hopefully, we are now heading in the right direction.