Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Independent Group for putting forward this very important motion on transport. It refers to the net zero emissions pilot project in Galway. The unfortunate situation I find myself in, in the constituency of Cork South-West, is that there is zero transport. Forget about zero emissions; it is zero transport. In many of the towns and villages where there is zero transport, it is nothing short of a crisis. From Dunmanway to Clonakilty via Ballygurteen, there is not any type of transport service, and these are populated areas. From Castletownbere down into Bantry, Kilcrohane, Durrus and Goleen, there is nothing. There is a bus that leaves Goleen at 7.30 a.m. and that is it until the night when it comes back again. It is "live, horse and you will get grass" as far as rural Ireland is concerned. This Government has been in place for two and a half years. It has delivered zero in relation to transport in west Cork. There are proposals but proposals are not a transport service on the ground.

I brought this issue up yesterday. I plead with the Minister of State to intercede in the matter of the Skibbereen test centre. Young people are trying to get driving tests because that is all they have. The only transport they can get is a car. It looks like the test centre could be cut down to one week a month. The RSA will not clarify that. The Minister will not clarify it.

Nobody seems to be able to clarify it. It has been said that it will stay open. What good is that if it is not operating properly? There were two full-time testers this time last year. One left in the past 12 months and the other is due to leave on 23 December. Where does that leave people who applied for tests two weeks ago and were told they would have a test within three months? They have now been told it will take six months for a test in Skibbereen. There is a serious issue there that needs to be resolved.

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