Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I understand the issue with drivers, but there is also a difference in parity between drivers at Dublin Bus and drivers at Go-Ahead. The latter do not have contracts or conditions as good as the former and Go-Ahead is not as attractive a workplace as Dublin Bus. This is an issue with the private provider.

Go-Ahead operates the 76, 18, L51 and L52 routes in Clondalkin, Palmerstown and Lucan. The 76 route goes to Tallaght. Residents contact me regularly having missed appointments at Tallaght Hospital because their buses did not turn up. BusConnects is not fully connected. There are residents in Lucan who watch helplessly as bus after bus passes them by full. Residents in Newcastle and Rathcoole, which have two of the fastest growing populations in the State, feel abandoned because of the lack of services.

I am all for getting people out of cars and onto public transport, but the Government must provide adequate public transport to do this. What will the Minister say to those in my area who are missing school, work and hospital appointments?

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