Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I am very happy in my position and I will not be returning to the local authority. Deputy Durkan was a good local authority member, so he should not be knocking the role. Local authority representatives see issues on the ground just as Deputies do, and they take the Luas and DART. I often wonder why public representatives are excluded from certain bodies and I am glad that is not so in this Bill.

I cannot get my head around the fact that we have not yet devised an integrated ticketing system. I understand the Department of Transport has spent money on solving the problems but we should be able to jump on the Luas or a bus in Tallaght and be able to visit the Zoo, Lansdowne Road when it is rebuilt, Croke Park or the north county with a single ticket. I have been in other jurisdictions where this is done.

I am glad to have had this opportunity to make a brief contribution to an important debate for the Dublin region and the country as a whole. If transport is properly provided in Dublin, it will help the rest of the country.

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