David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy English for allowing me to share time to speak on this Bill. Public transport is crucial at this point in our development as a society. We have a considerable amount to do to catch up regarding public transport. Other European capital cities have very mature public transport systems that work, run on time, are clean and move many people quickly and safely from one point to another, which is what people want. It is a good idea to integrate these functions under one authority so that everyone is working together.

One of the issues we on this side of the House have with this authority and other quangos that have been established is that there does not seem to be accountability as Deputy English mentioned. When the then Minister for Public Enterprise, Deputy O'Rourke, established the Railway Procurement Agency she said it would be accountable here through parliamentary questions, but that did not happen. The issue of accountability in the democratic process is very important. When Deputies try to raise issues in the House, we find we cannot do so for various reasons. I hope the Dublin transport authority will be run in a better way than Irish Rail.

As we speak, all trains from Cork to Dublin have been cancelled. Thousands of commuters have been left stranded without notice, including people with hospital appointments, people visiting other people, people on business and myself — I need to go home this evening. There is a lightening strike in Iarnród Éireann today and all the trains to and from Cork are stopped. This has been festering for some time. The industrial relations between some of the workers and management in the company are not good. I have been told that it has been brought to a head because a train driver this morning was asked to move a train from one location to another. He contended it was not part of his job, but management claimed it was and decided to take him off the payroll. His colleagues have now decided not to work until he is reinstated.

I am concerned about the thousands of commuters who are left stranded in Cork, Dublin and in between. As the Ceann Comhairle knows, I tried to raise this as a special motion under Standing Order 21 as I believed it was an urgent issue that arose at midday. However, I was refused permission to do so by the Ceann Comhairle's office. Thousands of our citizens will be stranded for the night. There is a big concert in Dublin and accommodation is at a premium. This is a matter that should be debated here with the Minister. Ultimately the Minister should be responsible for these issues, but obviously he is not. He washes his hands of it by claiming it is an industrial relations matter for Iarnród Éireann and nothing to do with him. That is not good enough. The Minister should be here this evening to debate the issue and tell us what has happened to lead to this situation and what he intends to do about it.

I take the opportunity to call on all sides to get together and resolve this matter quickly. I do not want it going on over the weekend and getting worse as people get entrenched. I am told drivers are sitting in Kent Station in Cork as we speak. I hope some movement is occurring. It is not possible to raise an urgent matter like this in the Parliament. Perhaps the Ceann Comhairle will advise us what an urgent matter is. What can be raised here? We talk about the relevance of Dáil Éireann. Thousands of people would like this matter to be debated here this evening and we cannot do so. Apart from that, the industrial relations problems between workers and management that have led to this strike should have been anticipated some time ago and dealt with. It cannot be that difficult. I know Ministers and Ministers of State do not really mind because they have State cars with drivers. They look out through tinted glass at the world as it goes by, but the ordinary person in the street does not have that luxury and must travel by train.

We are now establishing a Dublin transport authority and let us hope the same will not happen to that authority. Let us hope we can have accountability through here if public money is involved so that we can raise issues with Ministers if something happens suddenly that will inconvenience hundreds or thousands of our citizens. People ask how relevant is the Dáil. It is no wonder people are switching off politics when we cannot raise an issue like this. I have managed to come in and speak on the debate on the Dublin Transport Authority Bill and, strictly speaking, I am stretching beyond what I should in making this example. However, it is the only opportunity I have to do so. If another Bill was being taken this evening I probably could not do that. However, the matter relates to transport.

If the Minister is listening somewhere I ask him to take notice of what is happening in Iarnród Éireann and try to resolve the strike straightaway to ensure that commuters are not stranded overnight. What is a person who is in Heuston Station this evening after having a hospital appointment to do if no accommodation is available in Dublin? How will such people get home? It would take seven or eight hours on a bus, if enough buses are available. The trains are always full. In fairness to Iarnród Éireann, the Department and anyone else involved, the train service between Cork and Dublin has improved enormously. Trains run on the hour every hour and the trains are of a very high standard. They still take longer to travel than they used to ten years ago, but that is another issue.

The problem is that this should not be happening and the industrial relations machinery of the State should have kicked in to ensure it did not arise. Bringing this to a head, if that is the tactic management is using, is not good enough. The workers downing tools and inconveniencing thousands of commuters without notice is not good enough either. There is wrong on both sides. I ask that action be taken straightaway to sort this out.

I hope the Dublin transport authority will work. It is badly needed. We were told years ago that we would have integrated ticketing, but that has not happened. Perhaps it will happen in the next decade. Public transport is vital. It is important that it is fast, efficient, safe and timely, without the disruption that is occurring as we speak on the train route between Cork and Dublin.

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