Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

I acknowledge that the Government has spent considerable sums of money on the development of Bus Éireann's bus services. Like my colleague, Senator Donohoe, I lived in London for four or five years many years ago and I was a student in Dublin a long time ago. When I am in the capital every week I notice the quality of the bus fleet and hundreds of new buses are now operating on various routes. However, the efficiency of the service is a matter to be taken up under the Deloitte & Touche report.

I wish to raise two points with the Minister of State. I thought the proposal for an integrated ticketing system, similar to that which operates in Paris, had evolved and was being developed. One can buy a one day ticket or a weekly ticket to travel on the metro, bus or rail systems in Paris. Whatever about Cork city or Galway city, in Dublin, the capital city, there should be an integrated ticketing system, given that there is the DART service, Luas services and bus services. I would like the Minister of State to examine the introduction of such a system. I will concede my colleague, Senator Donohoe, is much more familiar with the situation in Dublin than I am. I mentioned the situation regarding the Dublin Transport Authority. It is a point of interest the Minister might deal with in his response.

I chaired a Joint Committee on the Constitution which looked at the proposal to build the metro link from Dublin city centre to the airport. We are living in a very difficult economic situation and I am not sure of the current status of that proposal. An important aspect of it is that we concluded, because of the complexity of the issue of land and building an appropriate tunnel to take the metro underground from the city centre to Dublin Airport, a simple piece of legislation could be introduced to provide, under our Constitution, for land on the route under 10 metres or approximately 30 feet underground, provided no structural damage was done to property, thereby getting over the constitutional issue of dealing with every householder and landowner between the city centre and Dublin airport.

It was an interesting conclusion. There was a parallel situation when gas was brought from Kinsale to Dublin, at little cost. It is an angle which could be looked at from the point of view of securing the property issue and is a sensible provision used in other European capitals in such situations. It is something which could be prepared for and done now, and when money is available down the road, the project could proceed.

It is important to note the Deloitte & Touche report which was published recently has a number of recommendations which the Minister and Government must take on board. There are very valid resources out there. I would like to see more competition, but what is important is that the focus of the report is on the effectiveness and efficiency of the network of services provided by both companies. There is no doubt there is a situation where routes have been established for many years and have been extended, just for the sake of running the routes. There must be a root and branch examination of the efficiency of each route to see if they are delivering value for money, if population shifts are changing, if different routes can cross the city and if there can be linked routes so every route does not automatically end up at the city centre and if there can be a simpler and more integrated system.

It is imperative that we acknowledge the significant contribution made by Government over the last number of years, particularly since 2000. Some €800 million has been paid to Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann in compensation for their public services obligations. In 2009 alone, the amount allocated is approximately €125 million, an increase of 120% on the allocation for 2000. The provision of substantial sums of money from the Exchequer and the taxpayer means one must demand and seek out value for money in all areas.

It is also interesting to note that over the same period a total of €300 million in capital has been made available to the two companies towards the cost of providing 271 additional buses. This is something which should be recognised. We can be critical of how things are done, but the fact that has been achieved is important. It is also worth recording that 1,160 replacement buses and new and improved garages and bus stations have been provided in that time. There has been significant investment by Government in this area.

It begs the question of whether we are getting value for money. With all the money that has been spent, we must ask if the two bus companies will turn the corner and become profitable ventures. The point made by Senator Donohoe about competition on routes is of critical importance. As someone who occasionally uses Dublin Airport, I believe it is important to provide at least two or three different options to get from the airport to Dublin city centre. More competition and perhaps more input from private enterprise would also be of some benefit to the public.

There is an imminent threat of strikes by the trade union movement. In particular, I hope those involved with running buses in Dublin stand back from the abyss of having strikes. I was caught in Paris when bus drivers went on strike for two days and it was almost impossible to travel on the metro as it created a major knock-on effect. I hope such a scenario will not emerge in this difficult situation. I ask those responsible to think twice before bringing the capital to a halt and look at the financial consequences and the loss of revenue to the economy of Dublin if that were to happen.

The smarter travel report was mentioned, which acknowledges that buses will have to play an even greater role in the future as we seek to make our transport more sustainable. Perhaps in his reply the Minister, in dealing with the smarter travel suggestion for higher quality bus services and major improvements in traffic management, would also look at the possibility of an integrated ticketing system for the capital. As he has pointed out, significant future financial implications are involved. The annual Exchequer subvention of €313 million in 2009 is frightening. It is a major service.

In the era of the Celtic tiger — it is doubtful if it is still alive or purring and I think it may have gone to its cave — it is difficult to believe that, given the population growth in Dublin, an efficient bus service could not run on a profitable basis, but it is not happening in Dublin. It is a significant challenge for the Minister and his Department.

Another concern, which is sporadic and in a minority, is that of the safety of those travelling on Dublin buses. It is regrettable that in this day and age bus drivers can be attacked, and in one instance a bus was more or less highjacked. It creates major pressure and affects certain routes. I hope the Minister, in conjunction with the Garda, will look at ensuring people working on and driving buses have a safe passage and the vast majority of the commuting public are respected.

I wish to acknowledge the major works planned in 2009 for College Green bus gate are well under way. The Minister also mentioned funding of €20 million for regional cities such as Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford is being made available in 2009 for bus priorities and park and ride projects. I compliment the Minister. I have seen the park and ride efforts first hand in my home city of Cork and it is a significant boost in peak times to ensure city centres are not clogged up. I would like to see a greater roll-out of it, whether in Dublin, Cork, Limerick or other areas where it is feasible. It is something which should be lauded.

I thank the Minister for coming to the House for this important debate. I am sure my other colleagues will give a more in-depth analysis of the successes and failures of the bus and transport system in the city.