Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

With regard to the devolution of powers, one issue is that of bus stops, which is not dealt with in the reserved functions. Perhaps the officials will take note of this point. At the moment, in order to install a bus shelter, it is necessary to contact the National Transport Authority and chief executives and a plethora of other people have to become involved. If a bus shelter is needed in Johnstown, Urlingford or anywhere else, it should be within the competence of the local authority to erect one so that four or five people can stand in out of the rain while waiting for public transport. The current situation is ludicrous. By and large, there are no bus shelters in rural areas whereas there are plenty of them in the North. Small, modest bus shelters can be cheaply installed. It is one of the issues we need to address. We are talking about involving local councils more in performing functions and about more environmentally friendly policies. If we are to get people to use public transport, we have to provide shelters for them to stand in out of the rain while they are waiting for that transport. The people who can decide best where to locate that bus stop are the local councillors elected on behalf of the people.

Some of the measures in regard to the devolution of powers are very small and frivolous whereas the Bill does not deal with some of the major issues. For example, we lobbied for the joint policing committees, as did other parties. The Department, with the Department of Justice and Equality, needs to consider strengthening those joint policing committees to give them real teeth because they will be better if they are strengthened.

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