Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I note that the motion condemns those involved for the unnecessary anxiety and anger experienced by the public in the past eight weeks since the BusConnects, or bus disconnects, as it has been appropriately described, consultation process commenced. The motion also proposes reversing the culling of bus routes across the Dublin greater area. It is interesting that it is happening in Dublin where there is normally no room for buses on the streets. With the new Luas line, people were not able to cross O'Connell Bridge because it had been measured wrong. As a rural Deputy, I can understand the anxiety caused. People living in rural Ireland have been living with it on a daily basis. I am not one bit anti-Dublin; I am for fair play for ordinary consumers, taxpayers and people who want a decent transport service. We hear so much about emissions and pollution and are told to change our ways. Where are we going?

This is typical of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. With no disrespect to the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor, cá bhfuil an t-Aire? Where is the Minister, Deputy Shane Ross? Every time any of the Rural Independent Group Deputies comes into the House, he flies like snow off a ditch - he is that scared. This is another appalling mess he is presiding over. This is the man who was able to write in the Sunday newspapers ad infinitumabout what he could do. He could do everything he was nearly infallible, but when he became Minister, he was able to do sweet damn all, only cause confusion and destruction. He has allowed people like these run riot in TII and the National Transport Authority and God knows who else - the quango queens, the quangos about which he wrote and railed against for decades. Now, he is promoting them, patting them on the back, siding with them and letting them run riot, which is what they are doing.

The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport found €2.3 million for consultants, while for the rural bus service proposal there is a mere €450,000. This issue arose during the debate on the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill when he threw €450,000 at us as a sop. The money would be welcome even if it was only €45,000, but it would not fund the administration system for a rural bus service. However, he had €2.3 million to give to outside consultants. As I said, I received confirmation that the Department had paid €2.3 million to private consultancy firms in 2017. This has generated considerable anger and frustration, particularly in the light of the fact that the Department is proposing to spend five times less than that figure to fund a rural bus service for 50 communities in 2018. Who is codding who? How can the Minister continue to maintain that his plan to tackle the issue of rural isolation has even a shred of credibility when we now know that the entire budget of €450,000 for the rural bus link scheme pales into insignificance when compared to the millions he was paying private consultancy firms? It is all spin and about consultancy firms. I hope the consultation process will be meaningful, but I fear all of the consultation is meaningless because, as in the case of An Post where there is an independent review, it is being dictated to by the terms of reference. Consultants are being paid to give us the answers we want or that the Government wants and to hell with the people and their views, including the people of Dublin. I support the Members who are railing against this.

What will be even more galling for people living in rural communities is the confirmation that more half of the €2.3 million was given to AECOM, a US firm that describes itself - wait for it - as a global network of experts who aim to deliver transformative outcomes. I knew that the Minister's vocabulary was good, but he should receive a medal for this. How could it have happened under his watch? He wrote about this issue day in and day out. He railed about it from the back benches when I was a member of the Technical Group with him. He also spoke about it for a lifetime in the Seanad, but he has retired and moved into the palatial palace that is his ministerial office across the road. He was going to transform the place, but he goes into hiding when anyone stands up to challenge him.

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