Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader to facilitate as a matter of urgency a special debate on the cancellation of bus services in the east of the country over the past few days. Sixteen bus services have been cancelled, including routes to Cavan, Kells, Athboy and Wicklow. Adequate notice is not being given, which is resulting in people standing at the sides of roads waiting for buses that will not come. The cancellations arise from disgruntlement, among other things, with new rostering within Bus Éireann. Twelve-hour shifts that are very discommoding and difficult for drivers and their families have been introduced. The solution lies in more drivers being recruited. That has been committed to but more drivers need to be immediately recruited and a more sensitive and consultative approach taken with drivers on rostering issues and with communities on the cancellation of buses, which should not be happening. I ask the Leader to treat this as a very serious and urgent matter. Some people are not able to get public transport and do not know that is the case. The problem is that people are not getting to work and there are many spin-offs from that. That should not be the case at a time when we are trying to encourage the use of public transport. It is a very serious matter and I expect a comprehensive response from the Leader.