Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the introduction of the Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009. The Road Transport Act 1932 belongs to a different era, when we had an extensive loss-making rail system and a bad road system. The spirit of the times was perhaps closer to the command economy than to the era of competition. The Minister is to be congratulated not only on bringing the reform of the 1932 Act, which had been discussed for at least 20 years, finally to fruition, but also on the establishment of the National Transport Authority. He has struck a balance between the status quo, which is heavily weighted towards the public sector, and some of the reform proposals that were made in the past which, it could be argued, leaned too much in the opposite direction. There is a strong case for the retention of a public service with a critical mass, in tandem with the creation of room for private competition. That is broadly the spirit of the mixed social market economy in today's European Union.

Bus services are the most essential and basic form of transport, especially for older citizens who do not drive. When one travels on many buses, one can see elderly people who benefit from the mobility that is provided by the free transport scheme, which was introduced by the former Taoiseach, Charles Haughey. Many younger people use public transport because they do not drive for one reason or another. They may be nervous about driving or may not be able to afford the cost of insurance. Public transport is a good option for those who are sufficiently close to it to make it viable. Although most adults drive, many of us regularly use public transport for convenience, to make better use of time or for environmental reasons. I am glad to say I used the 92 bus when I arrived at Heuston Station this morning. Last weekend, I spoke at the University of Aberdeen in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies. When I returned to Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon, I took a bus to the airport to catch a Ryanair flight. I do not have any problems with the services provided by Ryanair and the national carrier. I normally use the 59 bus or the Luas once or twice a week. I took the Luas twice last week to go to and from a couple of public engagements in Tallaght. Public transport is and should be safe, reliable, comfortable and convenient. I am always grateful to those who provide it. I recommend public transport to all Deputies, including officeholders, many of whom already use it.

Although the motorway network is almost complete, other key primary routes such as the N24 are awaiting improvement. The Minister, Deputy Dempsey, is smiling because he knows I am about to mention the Pallasgreen to Cahir scheme, which will include the Tipperary bypass. Other schemes, such as the Ennis to Galway scheme, the New Ross bypass and the Arklow to Wicklow scheme, need to be sanctioned as a matter of urgency. I accept that the development of the motorway network will not solve the problems associated with access to city centres at peak times. The Government's transport policy involves encouraging modal changes. The Minister was photographed in the vicinity of the Dunboyne line last week as part of his efforts to get people to change from the car to the train. It is worth mentioning that tax incentives are available for commuter tickets. It is inevitable that much, if not most, of the Transport 21 investment will take place in what might be described as the greater Dublin area. It is important that investment will also take place in other parts of the country, albeit on a much smaller scale. There will be a focus on the maintenance of services, at least. That will help to secure the consent of taxpayers in other parts of the country for the vast capital investment that is required in the capital. After all, Dublin is this country's principal locomotive of economic development.

I echo Deputy Broughan's emphasis on the importance of rural transport and school transport. It should not be forgotten that large towns throughout the country do not have any bus services, other than those regional services that happen to pass through. I refer to towns like Clonmel and Tipperary, which would benefit from some kind of publicly or privately funded local bus service. It seems to me that such a service will be the next step down the line. Routes can often be refined to meet changing public needs or demographics. They should link to other public transport services, where possible. While competition is important, there must also be co-ordination. Some cities outside Dublin have been slow to adopt bus priority lanes. Perhaps certain local authorities have been dominated by road engineers. It is important for the National Transport Authority to be given the reserved power to push such developments forward if they get stuck for various reasons.

In the past, taxi services were often far too restricted, or even unavailable. Today, Dublin, in particular, is awash with taxis, even to the extent of causing some traffic congestion in certain city centre areas. I do not have all-embracing faith in the market as a cure-all for overall supply; it certainly did not work in the case of housing.

I compliment the Minister on the publication of the Road Traffic Bill, which we will have a chance to discuss in more detail later. It is a compromise that will reduce road deaths and have the widest measure of public support. A point that I have not seen referred to in any public comment is that country roads are dangerous, particularly at night and if one meets somebody in a state of intoxication. A high number of accidents occur on these roads.

I recently met one of the Minister's former colleagues, Mr. Michael Smith, a former Minister for the Environment. He reduced the blood alcohol limit from 100 mg per 100 ml to 80 mg per 100 ml. He faced exactly the same difficulties and arguments as the current Minister.

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