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Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: I agree with everything that Ms Murray says. She is right. If people watching have questions that they want to have answered or to make submissions the committee is happy to take them on board. We appreciate both of the witnesses being here and if they have any further points that they wish to furnish the committee, we will be happy to have them answered and followed through. We are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: If there were mandatory priority for wheelchair users, it would mean space would have to be given to a person in a wheelchair, which would make much sense.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: A wheelchair user would end up being last rather than first onto the bus------

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: It must be mandatory in order to------

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: If a person gives notice that he or she wishes to board a bus at a particular point but that facility is not provided, should the requirement be on the transport provider to bring the person in an appropriate taxi to a place at which he or she can board? When Ms Murray could not board the bus in Virginia, how did she get to Cavan?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: They need to be put in place.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: They also have an obligation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: And if the facility to board is not available, the transport provider should bring a person at its expense to-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Ms Murray for her evidence and assure her that her views are very clearly understood by all present. I appreciate that she may shortly have to leave, although there is no rush to do so as far as the committee is concerned. If she wishes to forward to us any further ideas or views she thinks we ought to consider, we would be very happy to accept them. I ask Mr. Moran to address...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Mr. Moran for his contribution and the clarity of the points he made. It should not have been the case that Mr. Moran asked to meet the CEO of Irish Rail but the CEO refused to meet with him. If it is in order, the committee will write to the CEO and ask him to meet with Mr. Moran as a matter of urgency to listen to the points Mr. Moran wishes to make to him. It is disrespectful of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: I will call Senator O'Mahony next but on the Irish Rail issue, we asked all the transport providers' chief executives to come before this committee and all of them attended, with the exception of the gentleman Mr. Moran mentioned. He did not turn up that day, and I raised the point that he should have been here with the company's representative. I repeat that he has to meet the witnesses...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: Would Deputy O'Keeffe like to ask questions also and Mr. Moran might answer both?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: I refer to Mr. Moran's point on Irish Rail not providing a service when it has been requested. If there was a requirement on the transport provider to publish those figures on such incidents monthly or bimonthly, at least it would be obliged to account for them. I refer not just to the primary issue of not having the service. If transport providers were obliged to put figures into the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: I call Deputy Brady and then, after Mr. Moran is finished, we will go to Deputies Barry and Catherine Murphy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: As Deputy Barry is under time pressure, with the permission of the committee I propose to call Deputies Barry and Catherine Murphy before I invite the witnesses to reply. Our members are coming and going because of the business in the House.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: Mr. Moran has the floor. Deputy Barry is very interested in Mr. Moran's replies to his questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: Yes, we can ask the Minister to respond to that. I have one question about the point Mr. Moran made that because he found employment, he automatically lost his entitlement to an allowance or travel subsidy or free travel. Some social welfare entitlements, notwithstanding the fact that someone goes back to work, continue for a period of time thereafter. In other words, as part of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: Sometimes when people who may have an entitlement to, for example, a medical card return to work, notwithstanding the fact that they are then in excess of the means test, they can continue to hold it for a period. With something like that, Mr. Moran would not be placed in the invidious position of being afraid to use transport because these people are waiting to grab him. It is entirely...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: We should put it to her if the committee agrees. We should ask her to examine this as a matter of importance and urgency because it is entirely wrong that this would happen to Mr. Moran and that those people would be waiting for him. I thank our witnesses for appearing before the committee and for their most informative presentations. I hope they are staying for the second part of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: The purpose of this part of the meeting is to continue our discussion on accessibility of public transport for people with disabilities. This is the fifth in a series of hearings. We have previously heard from transport users and, more recently, transport operators. We will now hear from the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross. He and his officials are very...