Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Good morning to the Leas-Chathaoirleach and Leader. I certainly have no objection to the Order of Business and it is quite in order. I request that the Leader arrange an early debate with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, on transport matters. Would it be possible to have a questions and answers session rather than statements, which are not all that helpful if everybody makes a contribution but there is no real response? Will the Leader consider doing this at his earliest convenience and before Christmas, if possible?

I take the opportunity to raise the issue of overcrowding on the Heuston Station to Westport train route. Senator John O'Mahony might agree with me on this. It is a good quality service and very punctual, although it was a few minutes late today. I was not on it but I heard it was a few minutes late. Generally it is an excellent and timely service, with clean carriages and free Wi-Fi. The accommodation is inadequate, however, as there are not enough carriages on the train. I have seen people standing from Heuston to Westport, which is not acceptable.

There is a good arrangement with prebooking but this can also cause friction on trains. When people prebook seats, there should be a certain number of seats retained for people who travel without reservations as well because some people may not have access to a computer or have the ability to book a seat. These are small points I will make in the engagement with the Minister. Senator O'Mahony might also agree with me in requesting a later service from Dublin, perhaps at 8.15 p.m. during the week. Many people commute from the likes of Athlone and Portarlington, for example.

I also request the upgrading of stations along the route. I initiated a pilot scheme with the Roscommon town team chaired by Mr. Larry Brennan and my colleague and daughter, Councillor Orla Leyden, to provide designed displays of what is in Roscommon. It is a pilot and the same could happen in Ballyhaunis, Westport or elsewhere. The displays would be well-designed and in Irish and English, of course, saying what is in the town. Roscommon town has a Norman castle and is the burial place of the last high king of Connacht, etc. Next year is the 160th anniversary of Roscommon station opening and it would be a special time to upgrade the facilities. A railway station is a gateway to a town and a way to sell it. One can sell a town through roads but there is a very captive audience going through all these towns. It is a positive suggestion and there has been tremendous co-operation from Iarnród Éireann staff at the highest level with this initiative. It has been funded by a scheme under the town team.

There is also much overcrowding on the Luas. I was the victim of a pickpocket on 21 October, losing my wallet and all my credit cards. I got great help from An Garda Síochána but, unfortunately, the closed-circuit television cameras were not working on the Luas on that day. If they had been working, I would have available to scrutinise the footage to see if I could identify the culprit. It was so crowded on that day, we were like sardines. I compliment the extension of the Luas but we must look at this again. It is a victim of its own success. It is a tremendous service and it has made Dublin a city that people can get around very quickly. I wish it well. I thank the Garda Síochána, who acted in a professional and speedy way to deal with the matter. The gardaí were from Store Street and elsewhere. When they went to the company that runs the Luas, the CCTV was not working. It should have been working.