Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Independent Group for bringing this motion forward. On the matter of free and accessible public transport, we are told and we see that Dublin city has eight times more public transport than the rest of Ireland. I ask the Minister of State to think about this fact. I reiterate that Dublin city alone has eight times more public transport than the rest of Ireland.

While I appreciate there is a need for free public transport, in very rural places, such as we have in Kerry and Donegal, we must realise that it would be impossible to provide free public transport for everyone unless we have all the money there is in the Central Bank. The Government must realise there is still a need for cars, whether those are powered by petrol, diesel or electricity, as long as those sources provide a viable and reliable option. We still need cars and people need assistance.

There is no alternative for those people who need to go to work, school and elsewhere.

I, too, thank the Local Link services for the great work they do in getting elderly people out a couple of times a week to their local town or village, such as Curragh, Scartaglin, Brosna, Kenmare and Lauragh. They do great work.

On this notion the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, had that one car would do 30 people in one village and to place the car in the village, that man is for the fairies. The more we go on, the more I realise that this Government has no idea what is happening in rural Ireland.

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