Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for the introduction. Most of what I experience comes from my constituents telling me what problems they face. I know that some of the problems we face involve people getting on buses and wheelchair spaces being taken up.

I know that most buses have one wheelchair place and some have two. What are the plans to improve the process? The drivers have made it clear they will not get up and deal with people. They will not get out of the cab where they are sitting. Communication from the driver's cab is a bit of a problem with regard to people taking up spaces. It is something I have experienced a lot.

When it comes to taxis refusing to carry guide dogs or wheelchair users, I note the fines have been increased. I would love to know what impact this has had. Has it had any major impact?

We spoke about train platforms on the previous occasion and we were told there is a new type of platform. I would like guidance on this. Does it have an extension that comes out if necessary? I would love to hear a bit more about it. I do not know what is the relationship between the NTA and its Northern counterpart, particularly with regard to trains. Is there good co-operation? Do we have similar targets and goals in terms of trying to make every train accessible as best we can? The DART fleet has been mentioned and 185 carriages have been ordered. Approximately how many wheelchair places will there be in each of these carriages? I am not sure what the standard is at present and I would like to hear a bit about it.

With regard to the customer experience team, it is fantastic that customers with disabilities can get in touch in advance and explain what they need. I would love to know how this is working and being rolled out.