Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his answer. I do not envy him. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, who spoke before him had an answer that was not an answer, but she was able to elaborate on it because she is a Minister of State at that Department. I am afraid that the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, has been handed an answer that is not an answer but it is not his Department. To say that some of the services were cancelled due to increased traffic in June, when schools are finished and the traffic is lighter, is risible, as is saying that local traffic diversions have for some reason cancelled intercity services from Waterford to Dublin Airport. I do not envy the Minister of State having to sit there but that was not an answer. Bus Éireann said there are staffing shortages but it will double the service from next week. How can I put those two things together? Last week, Bus Éireann was short-staffed. It was not just for one day since this has been ongoing. It was short-staffed and could not provide the scheduled service but it says it will double the service next week. I know there are issues in the Waterford depot.

I do not ask the Minister of State to elaborate on his response, since he has a script which was supplied by another Department, but I ask him to go back to the Minister for Transport to ask him to get actively involved in this. I cannot accept the deflection, saying that this is not under the Minister's remit and that it is the NTA's problem. There is a role for the Minister. Something is happening in the Waterford depot that is particular to the area. More services have been cancelled than in other areas. Will the Minister of State relay that message to the Minister for Transport in the clearest possible terms?

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