Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the UK ambassador to Ireland, Mr. Paul Johnston, and his colleague, Mr. Jeremy Wilmshurst, to the House and share with them our condolences on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Her visit to Ireland in 2011 was a significant moment in the history of our countries and will long be remembered. That visit was a success in no small part thanks to the warmth and grace displayed by Queen Elizabeth II. We remember the visit as we offer our support and condolences to all those who are mourning her passing.

I wish to raise the issue of Bus Éireann not accepting card payments. That this is still the case in 2022 is totally unacceptable. The reality is that the number of cash payments and of people who use cash regularly are falling consistently. That trend has been more or less exacerbated by the pandemic, for obvious reasons. For one of the main transport providers in this country, a State-owned operator, still to provide no option to pay by card and seemingly no imminent plan to bring in such a payment system reflects poorly on it, to say the least. This is an issue that staff in Galway have raised with me. Drivers are frequently criticised over it, which is obviously not acceptable. Front-line staff are being blamed for it when the matter is entirely out of their control. From my experience of Bus Éireann in Galway, the drivers and other staff are excellent; however, when a person does not have change, there can be a significant confrontation, which leads to a difficult working environment.

The Government is one that wants to encourage people to travel on public transport to build up and expand the system. This can be achieved if non-regular users have a positive experience when they use the services. The Leap card, as all Members will be aware, is fantastic, but irregular users will not have one. Contactless payment is essential from that point of view.

Contactless payment is also important to tourists who visit our country. We know how important the tourism sector is to the country. Little things can become big things for people. Tourists who might want to take a number of buses while here need to be facilitated. We should ensure the process is as smooth as possible. Whether we are dealing with visitors or our own people, it is essential that we send the right message. It is essential that we offer the 100,000 welcomes to tourists. This needs to be considered immediately. I ask the Leader to raise the issue with the Minister for Transport and request that his Department prioritises the matter so it will be rectified in the immediate future. When staff, tourists and citizens are complaining, you know there is an issue.