Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague and our transport spokesperson, Deputy Robert Troy, for tabling the motion. It shows the importance Fianna Fáil places on this issue that it is our first Private Members' motion post the summer recess. It is a major issue that may affect Dubliners.

Deputy Robert Troy has covered some of the positive aspects of BusConnects, in which we welcome the investment of €1.2 billion which is undoubtedly needed in the creaking public transport system. I commend the Deputy on another point. The process would have been done and dusted had it been left to the Minister and the NTA. It was at the Deputy's insistence at the transport committee in July that the public consultation process was extended. It is important that people have their say. The meetings I have hosted in Dublin Fingal have been attended by hundreds of people because it is their bus service and they care about it. The review is good and that we will find out what people want is to be welcomed.

I will cite a few examples from my constituency of Dublin Fingal which per the census has a population of just under 300,000 people, as the Acting Chairman will know. It is a young constituency with many commuters. Let us consider some of the changes proposed. The 33 bus route serves the major growth areas of Balbriggan, Rush, Lusk and Skerries. All direct services into the city will be discontinued. Direct services from Donabate and Portrane into the city will be discontinued. Direct services from Malahide, where I live, will be reduced by 25%, but from some areas of Malahide such as Seabury there will be no direct services into town. There will be no direct services into town from Kinsealy. The direct services from Portmarnock will also be removed. During the Topical Issues debate the Minister mentioned the much vaunted metro north proposal and the need to serve Dublin Airport with a light rail or metro system. We need to serve it with bus services. In north County Dublin the 102 bus route will be removed.

People are concerned. This is a quality of life issue. It is about how people get to work, college, hospital appointments and school. Just before I came to the Chamber I received an email from Portmarnock community school, which has 900 pupils. Pupils in secondary schools are concerned about how they will get to school based on the plans. We want to ensure public consultation means just that, namely, that it means consult, listen and changes to BusConnects where it needs to be changed. Let us consider the Dublin Port tunnel, one of the best pieces of infrastructure built in the past 20 years. All of the 142 bus route services which pass through it - nine buses per day - will be discontinued. Is there a reason for this? Are the routes being cleared to allow for the future privatisation of services? That is not stated in the report and we never received a copy of the exact terms of reference.

I am speaking on behalf of my constituents in Dublin Fingal when I say that if the BusConnects report as it stands was to be implemented in the morning, it would be an unmitigated disaster for services on many routes. While there are positives, changes need to be made, where appropriate. The motion is important, as it directs the Government to give a firm commitment that it will listen to customers and ensure those who are dependent on buses will not have routes ripped out from under them. As for the over-reliance on the Northern-DART commuter line, anyone who uses it will realise it is already creaking at the seams. We cannot just put tens of thousands of additional passengers onto a rail line and say the issue has been resolved.

I welcome and wholeheartedly support my party's motion. I hope there will be a positive response from the Government to the feedback we have received from thousands of people all over Dublin.

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