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

The Minister mentioned the Luas connection. I do not use the Luas in the morning despite the fact I live in Inchicore. I do not use it at peak times because the carriages are too packed and it is impossible to get into them. People are squashed into them. I rely on the connectivity provided by the bus service. Those three buses services are going to be withdrawn and replaced with one bus per hour. If that bus does not turn up, passengers could be left waiting for two hours. If there is a problem on the Luas line, the tram always stops at the Blackhorse stop. People pour out of the Luas and onto the buses. That happened on Monday and when it happens, the people on the Luas have to walk down to the village to catch the G1 or the G2. We are talking about hundreds of people. The old route is not in place yet to provide the so-called connectivity that the NTA is talking about.

I also raised the fact that the NTA is not approachable. Its representatives are not prepared to meet public representatives on this issue. The withdrawal of those bus services will leave a gaping hole in the connectivity of our community. Will the Minister tell the NTA that it must meet representatives of the public and the community in the area?

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