Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. Does what the Minister now proposes to do with regard to bus transport and public transport generally not completely pull the rug from under his sustainable transport policy? The Minister will launch the sustainable policy in a few weeks' time, but with these cutbacks he is completely wrecking the sustainable policy in terms of bus transport. Is it the case that the subvention to the CIE group of companies is among the lowest of the 27 European Union member states? It is certainly the lowest of the old EU 15. Is it the case that the cutbacks now proposed will involve the loss of 40 Dublin Bus routes, of 150 Bus Éireann routes, the withdrawal of 170 Bus Éireann buses and of 100 Dublin Bus buses and the loss of 400 jobs? Is the Minister not effectively eviscerating the whole bus-public transport strategy?

A few months ago the Minister agreed with me that buses must perform the core role until we get the major investment required into heavier public transport over the next five or six years. Is he not wrecking that policy now by these short-sighted financial constraints he and the Department of Finance are imposing?

See this speech in context