Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

They did it on their own. Fair play to them, and I take that back.

However, it is so serious. People can get on a train or a bus to get to where they need to be, but think of somebody with a disability living in Blacksod trying to get to Galway. Do not forget we privatised and centralised everything because we thought that was a good idea without ever thinking about what transport links there would be for people. It is the people who are most marginalised and who are on the lowest incomes who cannot get to where they need to go. We created this social and economic exclusion and we must take ownership of it. This did not happen by design. It is absolutely disgusting.

When are we going to get past the review stage? Everything is always being reviewed and looked at. That is no good to the person waiting in Mayo today for his or her hospital appointment or waiting to be able to travel to where he or she needs to go because of affordability and the lack of rural transport. Then we decide it is a great idea to put a carbon tax on top of that, just in case people are not suffering enough. If somebody with a disability who is on disability allowance wants to get to a hospital appointment, he or she has to forfeit the entire disability payment to be able to get to that appointment. What is the person supposed to eat for the rest of the week? How is the person supposed to heat his or her home for the rest of the week? This has to be prioritised. I ask the Minister of State to prioritise transport for people with disabilities and people living in rural areas.

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