Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There was a debate in the House last night on the closure of more than 159 post offices in rural communities. Throughout the country there have been large, angry meetings in response to the proposals as communities are opposed to the closures. Similarly, in Dublin city and the greater Dublin region there have been meetings in response to the proposed BusConnects project, which has been aptly renamed, "BusDisconnects". The meetings have not been called by the National Transport Authority, NTA. They have been called by residents' associations, councillors and Deputies. More than 400 people attended meetings in Crumlin and Swords. More than 300 people attended a meeting in Drimnagh. The Greenhills residents' association also called a meeting. Last night there was a meeting in Perrystown where more than 150 people attended. Residents' associations in Terenure Road and Whitehall also called meetings.

The existing cross-city bus service has evolved over decades. It goes into estates and there is excellent connectivity across the city. I accept buses might meander a bit around estates but they connect communities, which is the crucial point. It is a public service. This so-called plan for the bus service is a disaster. In the constituency I represent, there will be a withdrawal from estates of the following routes: 18, 17, 150, 123, 122, 68, 69, 13, 9 and 15A. Hospitals are losing connectivity. The 27B and 17A have been withdrawn from Beaumont Hospital. The 123 is being withdrawn from St. James's Hospital and the 47 will no longer go by St. Vincent's University Hospital. The changes will affect older citizens in particular, as well as the disabled and schoolgoing children. One community has calculated that it will take three buses to get their children to St. Louis school in Rathmines. People with health concerns involving their knees, heart, lungs and visual impairment will be affected.

It was said that no one would be more than 400 m away from a bus stop, yet after a public meeting in Drimnagh on Thursday night we worked out that up to 43% of residents would not be within the specified 400 m range. There is a need for a review of public transport in the city and outer suburbs. The aim of the review should be to increase not decrease services for local communities. At a very minimum we should maintain existing services. The reality is the Dublin Bus fleet has been cut from 1,160 to 1,000 in the past ten years and buses now carry 27 million extra passengers. This review must be done with proper consultation with service users. There should be full consultation with those who provide the service, rather than management, as they know the service. They are the people who will make sensible suggestions as to how the service could be made more efficient and more suited to the needs of communities.

The privatisation of 10% of bus services will go ahead even though Dublin Bus tendered 5% less. A new tendering process will be put in place. There is a belief that the seven new transport spines will be used to tender out the services to private operators. Private bus services do not want to know about routes going through estates with ten people on them.

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