Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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2. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to protect front-line workers who use public transport from those who are not following public health advice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35651/20]

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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I seek an update on plans to protect the users of public transport from people who are not adhering to public health advice. I am talking about people who are aggressive and targeting the majority of our citizens who are doing the right thing. Under the level 5 restrictions, only essential workers and schoolgoing children are advised to use public transport. They are the ones we need to protect most to keep everything going. They are the ones who in small but very worrying circumstances are being targeted.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As the House knows, the Covid-19 health emergency has had a profound impact on the public transport sector since March. We all recognise that the continued operation of the public transport sector is important, which is why it has been designated among the essential services that have carried on throughout the crisis.

The Government is committed to ensuring that essential transport services and passengers utilising these services are protected and supported. I assure the Deputy that public health advice has closely guided the introduction of measures across the public transport system to improve journey safety for the passengers, including people travelling to work to provide front-line and other essential services, and for the transport staff who operate the services. I again take the opportunity to thank public transport operators and their staff for their commitment in providing this vital service in these challenging times.

The measures taken to enable the continued operation of services more safely during the pandemic include enhanced cleaning regimes and social distancing measures across the network. Social distancing is currently supported through the reductions in the number of passengers that the buses and trains can carry during the various risk levels under the Government's living with Covid plan.

The safety measures also include the regulations requiring the mandatory wearing of face coverings on public transport, which came into effect on Monday, 13 July, and were recently extended to June 2021. These regulations require passengers, with some exceptions, to wear face coverings while utilising public transport giving additional protection to both passengers and transport staff.

The regulations are implementable by a relevant person who is defined as any officer, employee or agent of a public transport operator or of the National Transport Authority, NTA. A relevant person implementing the regulations can seek the assistance of An Garda Síochána where needed. Where a passenger is not wearing a face covering, a relevant person under the regulations may request the passenger to wear a face covering, refuse the passenger entry to the public transport vehicle or request the passenger to alight from the vehicle. Failure to comply is an offence and there are penalties on summary conviction for non-compliance.

In excess of 95% of passengers are wearing masks. Compliance is very high across all public transport operators. This has worked and is working. We want to ensure it continues to work.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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I absolutely agree. Compliance is incredible because the people of Ireland are incredible. They are doing an amazing job during this incredibly difficult year.

My question is focused at the very small group of anti-mask protesters who, when they are active on the streets of Dublin and elsewhere, are targeting either, the people in this House and people on public transport. The difference is that we get protected by gardaí and we get barriers. Passengers on the Luas red line which serves St. James's Hospital are sitting ducks and can go nowhere. They are in an enclosed space and are being threatened physically and verbally. It is frightening enough at any time, but during the Covid pandemic it is doubly if not trebly so. The workers on public transport and the passengers need to be protected. The gardaí need to be protected. I do not expect the Minister to be able to wave a magic wand and solve the issue, but it needs to be raised in this House. We must call this fascism out.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I agree that it needs to be called out. The behaviour during the recent protests on Luas journeys, to which I believe the Deputy is referring, was despicable. That is not what the Irish people represent. The vast majority are complying. It was an insult and an attack on the vast majority of Irish people on that Luas on that day. There are mechanisms that allow a public transport operator or driver to call in support from the Garda. My information from talking to the authorities in this regard is that it has worked very well on any occasion to date when it needed to be used. The Garda is taking the approach that we are in this together. It is not policing with a heavy hand and the public transport operators similarly have not done that. I think in the incidents the Deputy referred to a specific complaint was not made in time for those operations to come into play, but they are in place. I support and reiterate the Deputy's call for us to stand up for the Irish people and call out those incidents where they take place.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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Based on my discussions with the Garda, I am confident that it is dealing with this group as best it can. We cannot remain silent over the actions of a very small minority when the actions of the vast majority, who have suffered so much throughout 2020, are so compliant. If they are asked to cocoon and stay at home, they are doing that. The people required to take public transport provide essential services, such as going to Dublin Port to ensure goods are coming in, working on the front line in hospital and teaching in our schools. These are the people who are on the front line and are using our public transport. They need to know that we, in this House, do not stand for this kind of fascist behaviour and will always stand up against it. While it may be a very small number of incidents, when they happen, they are frightening, threatening and intolerable. I thank the Minister for his answer. I am sure we will work together on this on all sides of the House.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Wearing masks in those circumstances or any other public circumstances where it is appropriate is a courtesy to other people. It is a sign of respect as well as good public health practice. It is a modest statement of respect for other people. Irrespective of one's political views, outlook or ideology, how could one stand against such an expression of courtesy and respect to others? Whatever our differences, people deserve that from each other. That is why I think the vast majority of Irish people have bought into it and do not turn it into something completely different which turns into disrespect and discourtesy to other people. Where would be the sense of that? Where is the logic? What is to be gained from that?