Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Pringle and his office for bringing forward this motion for the provision of free and accessible public transport. This is an important motion and I fully support its emphasis on rural areas and greater access for those with disabilities. I also want to approach this issue from the point of view of meeting the targets for CO₂emissions, and the transformation to a green economy. Public transport has a key role to play in that transformation. Due to a criminal lack of planning and investment in public transport, we have been forced into a situation where we are the most car dependent society in Europe. Cars make up 75% of vehicle use. We have the highest mileage per household in Europe and we also have the highest transport costs, 25% above the EU average.

In 2021, buses and coaches, both public and private, accounted for only 3% of journeys, with rail at less than 1%. The transport sector, internationally the fastest growing economic sector, relies on oil for 92% of its energy use in Ireland. In 2021, private cars represented the largest fossil fuel demand, with 42% of total transport energy demand. In 2019, 74% of journeys were made by private cars. One of the side effects of this is the effect on air quality. The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, has reported numerous breaches of safety levels due to increased emissions of NO₂. The presence of fine dust particles has meant an increase in asthma of 1,700 cases per year, particularly affecting children and those with other respiratory issues.

We need to make the transformation now to a low-carbon public transport country, in the process transforming access and affordability. We need to put in place an integrated public transport system to include buses, light rail, cycling and walking, and for that to be a key part of the planning process. We need to connect rural areas to the main towns and cities, andvice versa. Transport poverty in rural areas prevents people from accessing essential services, jobs and schools. Housing needs to be centred in and around villages for public transport to service more people.

Accessing services and getting to work can also be a problem in suburban areas. However, the so-called BusConnects reorganisation of the bus routes in Dublin has gone in the opposite direction to what is required in many areas. In general, the reorganisation means reduced services in many working-class areas. An example is the replacement of the No. 79 bus route in my constituency. It is a long-established route serving Ballyfermot and goes right through the working-class community in the south inner city. That route has been replaced by a new service, the No. 60, which will no longer go through lower Ballyfermot or the Liberties. It will bypass those working-class communities. This is typical of BusConnects across the city. It would be more correctly called "BusDisconnects" in many communities in Dublin.

I catch a bus from the Oblate Church of Mary Immaculate in Inchicore. It is served by the Nos. 68, 69 and 13 buses, which come from Greenoge, Grange Castle and Rathcoole, and serve the city. Those routes are all due to be stopped and redirected down Crumlin Road in Dublin 12. People in my area of Inchicore will be left with one bus per hour. We have access to the Luas at the Blackhorse stop but the tram is jam-packed by the time it gets there I would not get on the Luas during rush hour, although I do use it. All this means that people must walk to Inchicore village, approximately a ten-minute walk. Such a walk is grand for people who are fit and healthy, and have no kids to drag behind them. That is the reality. There needs to be genuine dialogue and consultation with local communities about how to best improve public transport services. We need serious State investment not just to expand our public transport network but also to eliminate its dependence on fossil fuels. It would be easier to do this with bus and coach transport than with the heavy rail network. CIÉ estimates that 1,500 electric buses will be required. Some 800 such EVs have been ordered, along with three green hydrogen buses. Green hydrogen technology is still at an early stage and is key to the greening of heavy rail. The electrification of existing railway lines would be expensive and time-consuming. The light rail system, such as the Luas and the DART, should be extended in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, etc. The MetroLink service to Dublin Airport should go ahead.

There is also the issue of making transport free. This is crucial as a key incentive to get people out of private cars by providing a serious option for getting to work, shopping and availing of essential services.

See this speech in context