Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to join with other Members who remarked on the passing of Paddy Moloney, who was a Blackrock resident. He will be missed for his good humour and patience with people as much as for his skill and music. He was a great member of the community and someone who contributed at every level. I was aware he went into hospital last night but I am sorry to hear that he passed away. He will be greatly missed.

I also want to comment on what has been said about anti-Semitism. I join with calls for a debate on that subject but I advise that Members should be careful about throwing that moniker around in respect of somebody who makes a conscious and justified decision to boycott Israel for a specific reason. That is justifiable and just because one is opposed to Israeli policy in the Middle East does not make one an anti-Semite. It is tremendously important to recognise that.

I would like us to talk about bus services. We have heard there will not be a resumption of the Nitelink service after the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted and that is a retrograde step. We need to move towards a 24-hour bus service for the communities on the outer parts of Dublin. If one takes Dún Laoghaire, for example, which was served by the 46N, that bus will not come back to it. That area relies on the 46A and other buses but I am calling for a 24-hour service. This is not just for late-night revellers but for people who work in town as part of the entertainment industry. To get home from town to Dún Laoghaire, Blackrock, Dalkey, Loughlinstown, Bray or anywhere in the outer suburbs of Dublin is an expensive trip by taxi. We must put in place public transport solutions for those people. The DART does not run late but the buses did and now we are being told they are not going to resume that service. We must put in place 24-hour services for people along certain key routes that will allow people to work in town and live in the suburbs.