Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Before, during and after the strike at Bus Éireann, the Minister gave commitments on the floor of the Dáil that he would convene a forum involving all stakeholders to facilitate engagement on public transport. The Bus Éireann strike finished in mid-April so between then and October there were six long months in which the Minister did not convene such a meeting. He did not set a date or terms of reference for the meeting. There has been nothing. Was that a stalling tactic and did the Minister deliberately mislead the House in saying he would give a commitment to set up that stakeholders' forum to bring everybody around the table? Did the Minister have no intention of doing it?

Last year the Minister had sight of the rail review before it went to public consultation. It is back on the Minister's desk but he has not published it. Having had initial sight of it he would have seen the dire financial straits that Iarnród Éireann is experiencing. He would have seen flagged in the rail review serious safety issues apparent in Iarnród Éireann due to the lack of investment over the past decade and maintenance of vital infrastructure. In the budget a couple of weeks ago, the Minister for Finance indicated that transport had procured an additional €9.6 million. That is the only additional funding for the entire transport portfolio. It is fair to say the Minister has no interest in public transport and he certainly has no plan. Did he mislead the Dáil when he gave a commitment to convene the stakeholders' forum?

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