Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport warned that Bus Éireann is facing insolvency within two years unless "difficult decisions are made".This begs the question as to who will be obliged to make those difficult decisions. The Minister is talking about axing between six and eight of the least profitable routes and we know that Bus Éireann wants to separate the Expressway service from the rest of the firm. We also know who will suffer as a result. It will be the people of rural Ireland, for whom these bus routes are a lifeline. The staff will suffer through further job losses and pay cuts. This is part of a very worrying bigger picture when it comes to public transport. We know Iarnród Éireann faces insolvency unless it receives a much-improved subvention. All three public transport companies have seen the level of State subvention reduced by approximately one third in recent years. To make matters worse, last year the National Transport Authority unilaterally took €2 million from Dublin Bus because it deemed the company's profits to be excessive. I question the role of the National Transport Authority, which seems to be pushing for outsourcing and privatisation at every opportunity.

At the heart of the issues affecting our public transport companies is the inability to plan their budgets, particularly their expenditure more than 12 months into the future. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport must commit to agreeing and implementing a multi-annual plan for the entire public transport system as a matter of extreme urgency. I find it very difficult to believe that nine months into his role as Minister, he is still floundering on the issue of subvention for public transport companies. At yesterday's meeting of the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, we discovered that, nine months into his tenure, the Minister, Deputy Ross, has yet to meet his opposite number in the North, the Minister for Infrastructure, Mr. Chris Hazzard. I just cannot understand it. What is the man doing?

It is time to have an adult conversation about public transport. As my union, SIPTU, has pointed out, we can have a sustainable public transport system that provides a world-class service to the public and decent jobs for employees but this Government does not have the will to make it happen. Once again, it is down to ideology. We know Fine Gael has been the driving force behind the plan to hive off profitable routes from Dublin Bus and that it would rather continue to cut the subvention, outsource services to the private sector and undermine our public services in the process. Fine Gael Members then stand up in the Chamber and bemoan the fate of rural Ireland.

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport back to the Chamber. Perhaps the Leader could persuade the Minister, when he does return, to spend less time speechifying and a little longer dealing with issues of concern.