David Norris (Independent)

I support this amendment. This is an important section because it decides the principle under which large elements of the legislation will operate. It is important that we support our public transport system as strongly as possible. I was never an advocate of privatisation. I regard the privatisation of Aer Lingus and Eircom as disasters. Without any suggestion of a party affiliation, which I do not have, one could suggest that I am an old-fashioned Lemass-style supporter of public investment in public utilities. It is a good thing that we ensure we have a strong public transport sector.

The amendment states that, among the principles to be regarded under this section, it will have regard to the desirability of ensuring that operators of public bus services are not treated less favourably than operators of private bus services but they are quite often. One example is that the State bus company is required to provide off-street parking for vehicles but there appears to be no such requirement on private bus companies. The latter park all over the joint. I can give an example from my local area, which I raised at the central area policing committee on Monday. Mountjoy Square is lined from end to end with buses, mostly private buses, despite the fact there are no less than four crèches on the square. Small children, infants and toddlers are emerging from between the busses yet there is no requirement, as there is on Bus Éireann, to provide off-street parking. We should have a level playing field. That is one area the Minister of State would be well advised to examine.

I wish to comment on the general context in which this takes place. I welcome much of what is included in the section and the language used, particularly in section 10(1)(b)(i) which reads, "the need to provide a well-functioning, attractive, competitive, integrated and safe public transport system of services and networks for all users". I commend the Minister of State, his advisers and the drafters for including the word "attractive". If the public is given a scuttery, old, diseased looking service with awful buses, it will treat it with the contempt that the bus service treats passengers.

I very much hope the metro project will go ahead. If it does, it will be in a period of financial stringency. Nevertheless, it should be an attractive service. We should not have ugly, functional, concrete metro stations because they would be a waste of time and money and would be treated with contempt and vandalised. When I was a member of the Joint Committee on Transport, I expressed ideas about how it should be done. While I am positive towards many elements of the Bill, I strongly agree with the Labour Party's amendment on supporting public transport.