Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being here to discuss this very important motion. As I have limited time I will be blunt and make six points.

A lot of my points relate to the Connecting Ireland proposals that were launched this week, which are quite welcome. One of my concerns is evening public transport. There is a lot of focus on commuters but there is a difficulty. For instance, if I wanted to travel back home to Gorey by train now I would be unable to do so. There is a very good bus service but for evening travel that is impossible. If we want to encourage our night-time economy then we must provide public transport in the evenings. The same applies to Local Link services in communities. People should be able to avail of a Local Link service that will allow them to travel between villages and towns.

I welcome the fact that the 50% fare for young people will come into being. We need certainty that when the fare is introduced it also applies to private operators because, as the Minister of State will know due to the fact that she comes from Galway, most of the public transport provided in rural areas is provided by private operators. It would not be right that only people in Dublin can avail of the new fare. This issue still has not been fully clarified.

Senator O'Loughlin and other Senators have mentioned the issue of interurban public transport. Almost all public transport roads lead to Dublin. If I want to travel from Gorey to Waterford or Carlow, and both places have an institute of technology, there are very limited public transport options so we have got to examine interurban connectivity.

Yes, we want to get more people using public transport. In terms of the transition to hydrogen-powered vehicles and more environmentally-friendly vehicles, we have started to see the roll-out of electric vehicles especially in local authorities and by a number of State agencies. However, we need a real strategy with both public and private transport providers to ensure that there is a move away from oil-powered vehicles, particularly diesel ones. I am not convinced that there is enough focus on that area.

I wish to mention ports, which is very much a specific focus of the Minister of State. Of course I must mention the potential of Rosslare Europort but if we are to strike a balance between people using airlines and other forms of transport to get off the island then we must ensure that there are enough services and facilities. In a post-Brexit context, particularly with all of the direct sailings between Ireland and France, it is essential that we have the necessary ports infrastructure. I urge the Minister of State to prioritise that area.