Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the UCD students including the Leas-Chathaoirleach's son, Eoghan, who is a very fine young man pursuing his studies in UCD. I commend Senator O'Loughlin on this important motion. As a member of the Oireachtas transport committee, I recognise this issue is pertinent to the Senator in her area. In my work as transport spokesperson, in advance of tonight's motion and in general, I have engaged with many councillors and public representatives. The NTA, Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland were before the transport committee yesterday. We have a huge issue with public transport. If we are to have any semblance of credibility around that modal shift, there needs to be accountability and transparency in that accountability by the NTA, Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus. My colleague, Councillor Sharon Tolan, has been campaigning for a long time on this issue. Our parliamentary party passed a motion unanimously at our meeting in June supporting the demands in the motion tonight. As for the transport strategy for the greater Dublin area, as has been well documented, it is sitting in the Department at the same time as thousands of people tonight who wish to use bus or rail continue to avoid it because of the continued disparity of train fares and the lack of Leap card technology. We heard yesterday at the transport committee that the real-time information was not working, as well as the issue of Leap cards.

The rail line is currently not fulfilling its full potential. Many commuters are choosing to either drive to a short-hop zone, SHZ, station, to avail of a more affordable ticket or remain in their cars, as Senator Boyhan referred to. Life is not as easy or simple as Senator Boyhan thinks and I am surprised, given that he is from a former Government party, the Progressive Democrats, that he recognises that we have the NTA and TFI working to develop and deliver public transport, but I will not get into that now.

As Meath County Council members will know, in a post-Covid-19 survey proposed by Councillor Tolan, 22,000 vehicles were going through Julianstown. Imagine the number of people that could be taken off the road. In advance of today, we spoke about Leap card facilities; they are very useful. Students hop on and off different modes of transport, including stations in the commuter belt area. I ask the Minister that Gormanston and Laytown be used as examples of short-hop zones and for the issue of reduced fare extension, with an eye to where there are boundaries. Laytown is 56 minutes from Connolly Station and therefore should be included. I thank Councillor Tolan, who has been a champion of that. I have been in constant dialogue as a member of the transport committee with my friend, Deputy Heydon, and the councillors in County Kildare who have raised the issue, as Senator O'Loughlin has tonight, about the inequality of commuters. To be fair, Senator Wall from County Kildare will recognise that in the areas of Newbridge, Kildare town and Monasterevin, there is a disparity with other stations around the county. As I had the privilege of spending five years in Maynooth, I know County Kildare reasonably well and have many friends there. I was recently in Maynooth University on the old campus. Maynooth town benefits from the issue of public transport, as an example. I make the point, as I am sure Senator Wall will and as Senator O'Loughlin eloquently and powerfully did, that there needs to be parity of fares and equality of treatment.

As the Leas-Chathaoirleach and Minister of State may expect me to do, I reference the issue of Cork, which the Minister of State mentioned in her speech. I commend Irish Rail on the Cork area commuter rail programme. It is an important project. It is not about Middleton or Mallow; it is also about the city and ensuring that, from Cobh to Middleton and going east to Mallow and the city, commuter rail is put in place. If there is to be any serious notion of tackling the issue of the modal shift or tackling the climate crisis we face, a city of the scale of Cork needs to have BusConnects working properly. While phase 1 is complete, we are now entering a critical phase of engagement. I appeal to the NTA that there needs to be ongoing dialogue to allay concerns and persuade people as there are huge issues around BusConnects in Cork, in terms of the first proposition. In fact, our Taoiseach complained about it and Fianna Fáil councillors on Cork City Council tabled a motion to the council about it. You cannot do one thing and be for something else. It is important in the context of the Cork commuter rail programme that we support the work of A.J. Cronin and his team in Cork. I am excited about public transport for Cork. We have seen the success of the 24-hour bus routes. We need to see Cork commuter rail commence in the city.

I will conclude on the issue of public transport police. I was at the National Bus and Rail Union, NBRU, conference in Cork. Senator Boyhan did not reference me in his contribution. I am on record in this House as being in favour of a dedicated public policing unit for public transport. Again, it is not as simple as Senator Boyhan would suggest in terms of its implementation as that entails the involvement of the Garda and the Department of Justice, as well as the issues of cost, training and recruitment. There needs to be a mind shift around the provision of public transport policing. We need a dedicated public transport corps because there are issues around transport, commuter and staff safety for the staff who work in our public transport system. I thank Senator O'Loughlin for this motion. It is important. It is about people. If we are talking about a modal shift and if we are asking people to invest in rural Ireland and areas outside of Dublin, then the Government should support and embrace this motion wholeheartedly. I commend Senator O'Loughlin on the motion.