Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá áthas orm go bhfuil an deis agam labhairt mar chuid den díospóireacht seo. The Sinn Féin Deputy for Kildare South, Deputy Patricia Ryan, has been raising the issue of the impact of the short-hop zones on people in her constituency for a long time. People are driving to Sallins in north County Kildare, as we have heard, to use more affordable public transport. We all know that as part of our climate targets and emissions reductions, one of the key ways we can address those in transport is to reduce the number of car journeys, especially short-distance journeys. We have a discrepancy, as the motion states, in the pricing structure of public transport. It is incentivising people to get into their cars and drive part of the journey to where public transport is significantly cheaper instead of encouraging people to take public transport for the entire journey. We all agree with the principle of this motion. It is a fantastic idea. Anything that can encourage people out of their cars and reduce costs for them has to be welcomed. It is a straightforward measure that should be implemented.

Looking on from the Opposition, however, we have to question what the point is in moving a Seanad motion about the issue. We can all stand up and make speeches but the budget was announced only a few weeks ago. There were no proposals from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or the Green Party around the short-hop zones. Sinn Féin allocated €2 million to extending short-hop zones in our alternative budget. Nothing was allocated at the time, when it mattered, when we could have done something about the issue being raised tonight. It is a pattern we see repeated when it comes to the public transport policing unit, as others have said. Fianna Fáil made a big song and dance about calling for the measure - I remember them being out on the plinth having a press conference. When it comes down to doing something about it in the budget, however, it is nowhere to be seen. Sinn Féin did not just call for public transport policing, we also allocated for it in our alternative budget.

Another thing Sinn Féin called for and allocated resources for in our alternative budget was the accelerated roll-out of the connecting Ireland rural bus scheme. We also allocated for the Navan rail line and the western rail corridor. Meanwhile, in this motion, there is very little for most of the country. It is a relatively straightforward measure for a few limited examples close to Dublin in counties Kildare and Wicklow.As I said, while we welcome the measures in this motion, we would like to see more talk in the parliamentary party meetings with the Ministers and at the time when we can deliver the changes to see action on this, rather than when we are here using Private Members’ time instead.