Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

I have the press release here from Bus Éireann that states the company will have to make cutbacks of €30 million in its programme. Part of that is a result of the cuts in the subsidy from the Department while some of it is due to not enough people travelling to work by bus.

The fact is that Green Party policy has not been effective in Government and the Minister is cutting back in the area most valued by the Greens, public transport. The older, the poorer and those in disadvantaged areas who do not have the capacity to buy a car will lose out. Should the Minister not encourage a change in vehicle type? Why not have An Post and Bus Éireann operate a postal delivery and bus service together, using the same vehicle? We need new and radical thinking and we are not getting it from the Minister, all we are getting is cutbacks.

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