Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this very important issue. Private bus operators are a fundamental part of our public transport service. In the way it has evolved over the years, they are responsible for 100% of services in many places, particularly in vast swathes of rural Ireland. They provide scheduled services through the National Transport Authority. They provide school bus transport services through the Department of Education, under Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus in the city, as well as under other bus companies. In terms of coach tourism, they provide an important role for incoming tourists. It is a hugely important service that keeps people moving.

Operators have had a difficult couple of years because of Covid. I acknowledge the supports the Government provided during that time. I point to the fact, as I consistently did during that period, that there were anomalies and discrepancies within those measures, for example, regarding the private school bus operators and the supports that were available. I welcome the Government measures, and I have said as much to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, such as the introduction of the youth travel card, which is due to be introduced next month, the additional cost-of-living measures, and the 20% reduction in fares. However, this has a direct impact on private operators in that they cannot avail of these measures. There is a commitment from the Government that the youth travel card would be introduced at some stage in the future, around which there are technical issues. That needs to be introduced as quickly as possible.

The 20% fare reduction is literally limited to public service obligation, PSO, routes. That has a real impact on the competitiveness and viability of these services. I make that point as someone who wants to see an enhancement of uptake on public transport. There is a question now about viability. This happens in the context of increasing running costs, the increase in the price of diesel and everything else. It calls into question the future viability of these services. I am not convinced that the Government, the Minister or the Department have adequately assessed the potential impact of that.

I believe there is a commitment to the expansion of public transport but I am not convinced the approach that has been taken here and the potential impact of the specific exclusion from the 20% reduction has been adequately considered. There is a real prospect, and we have literally seen the difficulty the school bus transport sector is having at this point spelled out in black and white, that we might lose a number of operators. In our mission to get more people on to public transport, we might actually lose and forego that opportunity because of the approach and inherent inequity in these measures.

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