Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

What I am going to say is not targeted at the Minister of State directly or individually. The next comment is not for him. There is a massive arrogance to just ploughing on regardless here. I have had it from the NTA, and I have had it from any sort ministerial intervention we have called for. Though I appreciate there are statutory limitations, we do know that there have been changes in the past that came from a groundswell of public opinion. I have also had it from other people in some of the coalitions the Minister of State mentioned.

There are one or two problems but the main one - while I am standing in Parliament talking about a bus route, which is not what any of us wants to be doing - is the fact that this bus route is going to stop at Parnell Square. It is going to limit and impact people who are most vulnerable in terms of how they engage with the city. That is all we are asking for - some solution or some kind of delay until that solution is provided. On the idea that the frequency is going to be increased, that is fantastic but again, if you are a person who has any of the complexities I have just outlined such as a mother with a pram, a person with an additional needs or an older person, the idea of getting onto that bus in Drumcondra, which is often crowded, getting off at Parnell Square, which is always crowded, walking 100 m up the road to get into the same situation again to go two miles up the road to get off is a disincentive for people to use that bus.

We have seen it previously. We have seen the 123, which was supposed to be removed, being kept because of a groundswell of public opinion and the NTA changed its mind. At this moment, we need a political intervention here to engage with the NTA. This is genuinely going to impact the residents I represent as they engage with the city. It is going to impact Deputy McAuliffe's constituents and Deputy Shortall's constituents. This is not something people are taking lightly. We have to be able to get around the city centre safely. I want more people on buses. I do not want my city clogged up with cars but I cannot legitimately say to people that this plan is grand and to head on as they are, as I can hop off and on and they cannot. To bring a degree of fairness and a modicum of sense to this, we should not just plough through changes to the infrastructure of this city in a manner that is simply not just. I ask the Minister of State, in his capacity and the role he has, to maybe engage with the NTA and simply tell it to hold on for a moment.

See this speech in context