Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

Connecting Ireland is disconnecting quite a number of places, but I do not want to start with a major criticism. There have been great successes in my constituency, Cork South-West, in relation to Ardgroom, Bantry to Sheepshead, Crookhaven, Goleen, Lowertown, Skull to Skibbereen, and Baltimore to Skibbereen, where a second bus has been put on the route is so popular. These are the routes that nobody was either interested in or pushing previously. Unfortunately, however, there are serious areas of disconnection. There is no connection to light rail from Ardgroom to Cork Airport, a distance of 130 km - imagine that - or from Mizen Head to Cork, a distance of 124 km. There is no connection whatsoever to either of those areas, and that needs to be looked. In areas like Ballynacarriga, Drinagh, Bantry to Goleen and Ballydehob, there are pockets where there is no transport service as such. I would like to think also that we would look at our school buses being used as a transport service. Kids can come in on the Luas in the morning with adults. Why can they not sit on the same bus with adults? That is an area we need to look at. I thank Bus Éireann, West Cork Connect and Local Link for delivery of what they are doing but, unfortunately, a hell of a lot more could be done. Over-70s should be allowed to drive school buses too. That will be a huge issue going forward and it needs to be looked at.

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