Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)

I echo the supports for BusConnects. It is a very important project for Dublin in particular. It cannot come soon enough.

I wish to speak about the urgent need for security personnel on public transport services in north Dublin, in particular during evening hours. I thank my local colleague Councillor Supriya Singh, who has raised this matter at many local forums, including Dublin City Council's own north-central area committee. I commend Councillor Singh on her ongoing strong advocacy for our local communities. Her motion passed unanimously at the north-central area committee. It called for the deployment of An Garda Síochána or security personnel on DART and bus services as part of the community safety programme. It is an issue of growing concern, particularly in areas such as Raheny, Donaghmede, Belmayne and Clongriffin, but the progress on the issue seems to be very slow.

Let us be clear: this is not an hypothetical issue. We have had a steady stream of incidents, including violent attacks at both Raheny and Clongriffin DART stations within the past year. These are not isolated incidents. They reflect a pattern of escalating anti-social behaviour that, if we do not address it, will erode public confidence in the safety of our transport system. This affects everyone but particularly women, older people and those travelling alone in the evening time. How can we encourage women to switch to or even use public transport if they do not feel safe? It is a public service and a safety issue. Safety on public transport must be treated as a basic right, not a privilege. We have written to the NTA on this issue seeking an update but to date there appears to be little or no tangible progress. Meanwhile, security personnel were deployed on some southside routes last year. Why the delay on the northside of the city? When will we see a proper security presence on the ground, on buses and on trains in our communities? The travelling public deserve more than assurances. They need real action on safety.

See this speech in context