Alex White (Labour)

There is a very attractive map in today's newspapers which shows how the new Dublin Bus network will look if the changes proposed by the company are implemented. I welcome the fact the company has addressed something as basic as bus routes across our capital city. It is based on the old tram system and many numbers on the buses hark back to an earlier age. Can we have a debate on public transport in our capital city? To what extent will this map, with all its high design production values, be represented by the service that Dublin Bus produces once these changes are implemented? If we go with these proposals, 90 buses will be taken out of the fleet in Dublin and 150 jobs will be lost.

I am prepared to accept, for the sake of argument, that a reduction in costs can lead to an improved service. This is always possible, but we should remind ourselves that Dublin Bus provides a very good service and has a very good record. The subsidy to Dublin Bus is relatively modest by international standards. We have a good service. No matter what happens to the routes and apart from having an opportunity to view the map, people want to know whether the service will improve. I ask the Leader to consider a debate on this issue.