Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

How can the Minister say Luas does not have a subvention? Luas has been given considerable road priority and expensive road space in the Dublin area for free. As Dublin Bus has pointed out, if its buses were given anything like the same priority as Luas, it would have a wonderful service. Dublin Bus is losing €60 million because of traffic congestion and the absence of adequate bus priority measures. Its entire subvention is being eaten up by the cost of congestion.

Does the Minister accept that the fundamental problem with public transport is that its subventions are inadequate? Is he prepared to move closer to the European model where, on average, public transport subvention averages at 50%? He cannot maintain it can be done cheaply without the level of funding provided everywhere else. The best models in Brussels, Paris and every other European city provide good public transport, have a real alternative to using the car and keep traffic moving in the city. We cannot do that because we have inadequate public transport.

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