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

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

notes:

— that the transport sector accounts for 17.7 per cent of our total greenhouse gas emissions, and investment in public transport can play a central role in helping to reduce carbon emissions;

— that expanding affordable, accessible and reliable public transport infrastructure across the island can deliver environmental, social and economic benefits to all cities, towns and regions;

— that 13.5 per cent of the population have a disability, and ensuring universal access for all on public transport must be a priority;

— that a lack of public transport options in rural Ireland means many workers and families are completely reliant on private car use for education, work and leisure, and should not be penalised financially for this;

— that commercial bus operators deliver important connectivity in areas the State failed to invest in, and accounted for 30 million passenger journeys in 2019; and

— the concerning level of anti-social behaviour across public transport services;

recognises:

— the detrimental impact on commuters who rely on bus services in Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area as a result of the previous Fine Gael Government's decision to privatise 10 per cent of bus routes in these areas;

— the failure of the Government to extend the 20 per cent public transport fare reduction to commercial bus operators in Budget 2023; and

— that the Western Rail Corridor is not included in the National Development Plan 2021-2030, nor will the Navan railway line be completed within the lifetime of the revised plan;

acknowledges:

— that the Navan railway line and the Western Rail Corridor combined could provide for an additional 2,375,000 sustainable passenger journeys each year and deliver significant economic and social benefits to these regions;

— the call from the National Bus and Rail Union for the establishment of a dedicated transport policing unit;

— that many people with a disability continue to face barriers using public transport, such as broken lifts, limited wheelchair spaces or having to give 24-hour notice before their journey in order to have a ramp in place;

— the very poor standard of service being delivered by Go-Ahead Ireland in particular, which includes late buses, overcrowding and no-shows; and

— the failure of the Government to include specific funding in Budget 2023 to extend the Short Hop Zones to more train stations to reduce the cost of travel for commuters; and

calls for:

— the 20 per cent public transport fare reduction to be extended to commercial bus operators;

— the timeline for the delivery of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan to be accelerated;

— funding to be allocated to kickstart the delivery of the Western Rail Corridor project and expedite the delivery of the Navan railway line;

— the establishment of a dedicated public transport policing unit;

— the Public Transport Accessibility Retrofit Programme budget to be increased, to ensure accessibility at all train stations, platforms and bus stops;

— the National Transport Authority (NTA) to exercise their regulatory powers to ensure punctuality, reliability and customer service standards are met by all public transport providers;

— the Minister for Transport to mandate the NTA to ensure that the current contractual agreement between the NTA and Go-Ahead Ireland will not be extended beyond its current contractual timeframe, and that the 10 per cent of previously privatised services would be brought back under public or State-owned control; and

— the extension of the Short Hop Zones, in order to reduce the cost of travel for commuters currently excluded.

Expanding our public transport network across the State can deliver environmental, social and economic benefits to all regions. Unfortunately, due to decades of neglect by successive Governments, large swaths remain without quality public transport links, while some regions remain entirely cut off from our rail network. People in rural Ireland are punished by a punitive carbon tax for having to use their car, despite the Government putting no alternatives in place for them. The rail network we have today is a skeleton of what we had 100 years ago. This has resulted in communities being isolated and has contributed to the stagnation of economic growth in some regions. Sinn Féin wants to change this. We want to see an accessible, affordable, reliable all-Ireland transport system that enables the movement of people and goods locally, regionally and nationally at the least environmental, social and financial cost. That is at the heart of our motion tonight. This plan could and should be implemented.

The motion contains a number of measures that I have raised with the Minister before and all of which are contained in our alternative budget, which we believe should be acted on. We want to see the 20% public transport fare reduction made permanent, not just extended until the end of next year, and extended to commercial bus operators. The latter were responsible for in the region of 30.5 million trips in 2019. They fill a gap that the State has left open. They provide a very important service.

We want to see the timeline for the delivery of the Connecting Ireland rural bus plan accelerated. I have raised this with the Minister on numerous occasions. I am referring to the €5 million allocated in 2022 and to a €56 million plan that would deliver significantly for communities if invested in and rolled out on time. Sinn Féin would invest €25 million in that plan next year.

We want to see funding allocated to kick-start the delivery of the western rail corridor project and expedite the delivery of the Navan rail line. Between these two important regional projects, in the region of 2.375 million passenger journeys could be made every year, taking people out of their cars and putting them on public transport.

We want to see a dedicated public transport and policing unit established. We have had much discussion on this topic. It has included backbenchers and various Ministers and Ministers of State but we have had no progress on it. We are aware that anti-social behaviour and crime on public transport are increasing, putting workers, including drivers, and passengers at risk. We know the unit would be a deterrent. According to research carried out by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, just 15% of women in Dublin felt safe on a train and just 24%, or almost one in four, felt safe on the bus network. This should be a genuine concern. It needs to be addressed. The establishment of a dedicated public transport policing unit, as called for by several unions, should be part of the solution.

We want to see the public transport accessibility retrofit programme budget increased year on year to bring it, in five years, to the €137.5 million that is said to be needed to deliver a fully accessible public transport network with buses, coaches, light and heavy rail, and, importantly, stops, stations and platforms. That needs to be done.

We want the short-hop zones extended to reduce the cost of travel for commuters who are currently excluded. My colleague, Deputy Munster, has been particularly vocal about the anomaly that exists between Balbriggan, Gormanston, Laytown and Drogheda. This is but one of several examples in Meath, Louth, Kildare and Wicklow. These need to be addressed. Sinn Féin would do so.

My last point, on which some of my colleagues will pick up, is that we need to see the Fine Gael agenda to privatise 10% of Dublin Bus routes to be scrapped and reversed. The Go-Ahead experiment has failed miserably; it needs to be reversed.

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