Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We need to have a specific debate on public transport with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan. There has been much focus this week on the unacceptable level of bus services in Dublin 15. There has been an acknowledgement of that but the issues keep arising. This is an ongoing real-time issue involving late buses, no-shows, buses that are full or buses that are grouped together. I get reports about the 40, 38, 38A, 39A and N4 bus routes in Dublin 15. The bus company said it would minimise the cancellations on low frequency services but that is not happening. For instance, the 270 bus route, which links Blanchardstown to Dunboyne, is essential for school links in the mornings. On occasions, the bus either does not show up or is full when it passes the stops, so kids are missing their link to school. The No. 70 bus route, which is also the connection to Littlepace, is disappearing. It is a peak-only service. It only runs hourly during the day. If a person misses that bus in the evening, how does he or she get home? We need to have a debate with the Minister on this issue.

I also want to mention Hansfield train station. When Hansfield was being built, it was brilliant because the train station was part of that strategic development zone and that is something we want to do in terms of balancing services and housing and building communities. Why then, when the population is increasing and, post Covid, the demand for the train is there, do we have to go through this rigamarole of getting Irish Rail to increase the services? Why do we have to shout about it? There are six trains in the morning up until 9.08 a.m., while the trains during the rest of the day only go as far as Clonsilla. I have been able to secure an additional service to Clonsilla but it needs to be extended to the city centre. We need to act on the demand that is there for trains and other public transport.