John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The BusConnects proposals affecting north Wicklow are a mixed bag. I know the Minister is familiar with some of the issues which BusConnects presents for the public transport users of County Wicklow because I saw a tweet he sent in 2017 when he used the No. 44 bus. I am unsure whether he has used it again since then. The proposals will impact severely on some of the most vulnerable people in north Wicklow. The Minister has met some people in the Enniskerry area on the issue because the 185 is one of the routes which will be decimated if the proposals come to fruition. That would affect areas of Enniskerry such as Shop River and Kilgarron, which is made up of a very elderly community who rely heavily on the 185 bus to ascend a very steep hill. What makes it doubly troublesome is that the local post office is at the top of that steep hill. Elderly people will not be able to walk up the hill. The proposal to remove the 185 and replace it with a new route, the 213, which will completely cut out the service to that community is unacceptable. The changes will make routes more direct and remove services from communities such as the Palermo area of Bray which is currently served by the 185. The community in that area is up in arms over the proposals.

It seems that it has been left to public representatives to carry out the public consultation, rather than it being done by the NTA or those behind BusConnects. I take issue with meetings being held outside supermarkets and dressed up as some sort of public consultation meetings. That is a disgrace. More than 150 people turned up to a public meeting on the issue which I held in Bray. Many of them were completely in the dark on the project. Public representatives are doing the work of BusConnects.

There are major issues in regard to the project. Many people in Wicklow have made submissions on the proposals. Ultimately, it is for the Minister, Deputy Ross, to sign off on this plan. I urge him not to do so.

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