Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Independent Group for enabling this very important discussion. There is no good argument against free and accessible public transport. It helps to improve employment and social connections, it reduces dependence on cars and it frees up the roads for people who must use them. Despite the many benefits, many people who need public transport have to fight for this service or are simply denied it. Over the past few months, I have been helping families to access school transport, and a situation in Goleen was just resolved this week, over a month into the school year. To have disgracefully few services in rural Ireland means many disabled people cannot work, despite their capacity to do so, and they cannot participate in community and social life.

Over the summer, a group of young adults in Castletownbere, who needed a bus service for day services and training, could not access this. Local Link and other organisations had to work tirelessly to resolve the issue but, ultimately, it is a funding matter and a basic planning matter. No one should have to fight for a basic service that they are entitled to. The future of public transport access to Castletownbere is under doubt under the Connecting Ireland plan, which classifies it as a local route rather than a regional one, which would downgrade the connectivity of the entire Beara Peninsula. Castletownbere must be recognised as a hub for the area.

The Cork-Kinsale bus route goes via the airport, which means regular commuters are delayed due to the extra time taken in accommodating tourists. There needs to be a separate service for regular users to ensure they can get to work and appointments on time.

I was contacted about a case where an individual with free travel was charged €2 each way to book tickets, with no guarantee of getting a space on the bus. This highlights the many contradictions in the system.

Bus stops are an important part of public transport. We have a shocking lack of sheltered bus stops, given our climate. Villages like Riverstick, Belgooly and Drimoleague are screaming out for proper, basic bus stops. Bandon is very poorly served, meaning many older people cannot access buses. There is a pressing need for bus stops on the western side of the town, another issue I have raised with the Minister.

Public transport should be an easy win for the Government, if the will was there. However, the Government seems to see little economic value in public transport. It is a service that is primarily used by the less well-off and more vulnerable in society, people with disabilities, older people and lone parent families. It is clear that after another budget designed to benefit the better-off, there is no hope of a genuinely accessible public transport system from this Government and that approach needs to change.

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