Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

At this point, some 181 million journeys have made on public transport this year. It is a 4% increase over the same period one year ago and within this period Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann have recorded their first increase in passenger journeys in many years.

What strikes me about the answer provided by Deputy Coppinger is that she gives the same answer to every question. When asked where she would find more money for hospitals, she says a wealth tax, when she is asked where she would find more money for schools, she says a wealth tax, and the only thing constant in the answer is that it is the same answer to everything. She spends the money again and again and, if she was in a position to introduce it, it is likely there would be no wealth left in our country. The Deputy is speaking to the Minister who, for the first time in many years, maintained the level of subvention and current funding that went into the CIE group. I have given a commitment to look to increase the amount of capital funding in future.

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