Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)

I wish to convey my appreciation to the Ceann Comhairle for choosing this matter for the Adjournment debate. Without casting any aspersions on the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, I wish to convey my disappointment that the Minister for Transport did not attend, given that he does not have a Minister of State in his Department. It is a pity that someone from the Department of Transport cannot be here to hear the case I am making.

The collapse of Mortons Circle Line bus service from Celbridge to Dublin has left a vacuum in the provision of transport services and severe difficulties will arise next week unless urgent action is taken. The current difficulties were entirely predictable. Bus Átha Cliath had a long-standing application for a change of route and an upgrade of frequencies before Mortons, which had a minimal service to Celbridge, launched an objection to the Bus Átha Cliath application and a counter claim. The then Minister made a surprising decision, refusing the Bus Átha Cliath application and granting a licence to Mortons for 37 routes in and out of Celbridge. This occurred in October 2006. I warned that Mortons did not have the capacity to fulfil the licence requirements. I suspected it was getting the licence to sell it on but that did not happen.

Mortons never fulfilled the terms of the licence, only running on the prime time routes and cherrypicking. Even then, it could not attract sufficient numbers to make that limited service viable. The reason the company closed was that it could not get enough customers to make it financially viable. This demonstrated the difficulties for a new entrant competing with a well-established service provider like Bus Átha Cliath. I hope the reply will set the record straight on the claims by Mortons that it was crowded out by floods of Bus Átha Cliath buses. In fact, Bus Átha Cliath was prevented from providing extra services to allow Mortons to get off the ground. However, it never did get off the ground. The old saying about the heat and the kitchen comes to mind.

From next Monday, a sizeable number of citizens from Celbridge and Lucan and those along the route to Dublin will be left without a service. They will be severely discommoded and many will be forced back into private cars on already heavily congested roads. Others will not have that option. An urgent solution is now required and is available. I ask the Minister to request Bus Átha Cliath to step into the breach and provide a replacement service, at least on a temporary basis, to the people of Celbridge, Lucan and beyond.

Bus Átha Cliath has the resources and capacity to do so but it needs the approval of the Minister. I urge the Minister to include the cross-city service to Ballsbridge and Nutgrove, that was unique to the Mortons Circle Line service, in the solution. This accommodated students from UCD and workers in the south of the city. Although he is not present, the solution is available to the Minister and I hope he accepts the case I am making. The Minister has a reputation as a man of action and I am confident he will demonstrate that by acting on this matter. The solution is available. Bus Átha Cliath has the resources available to fill the breach and not leave customers stranded next week. Will the Minister request it to provide that service?

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