Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I know he has been here for a while today. This is a really important motion. We know that for people to use public transport, anywhere in the country and not just in our cities, they need to feel safe. From our research among public transport users, 93% of people say they have witnessed antisocial behaviour. My colleague has pointed out myriad cases. It seems that on a weekly basis we hear of assaults and attacks on public transport, not just in our cities, but throughout the country. It makes people feel unsafe and puts them off using public transport. We know we have climate targets and we need to see more than 500,000 people move from private cars to public transport if we are to meet those targets. We will not get there at the pace we are moving at present.

We know that people who use public transport are looking for public transport police. This has been discussed for years. It has been in many of our Government manifestos. I know the National Transport Authority, NTA, and the Garda do not feel there is a need for a transport police, but we know there are certain times of the day, such as when Nightlink buses run, and certain routes where it is very clear and obvious that not only the passengers, but the drivers, would feel safer if there was some visibility from An Garda Síochána on the bus or platforms. Growing up, there was always a conductor on the bus. There was not a conductor on every bus but there were conductors on some routes because, at the time, Dublin Bus knew some routes were a little trickier for drivers and they put the second man on the bus route to have a little more safety.

This is not too different. It is asking An Garda Síochána, which is the appropriate body, to put a second man or woman on a bus in order that the drivers and passengers feel a little more secure. Imagine that nearly 93% of people have witnessed assaults or antisocial behaviour on public transport. The part of that survey, which was quite stark, found that 73% of those people did not report the harassment. We have all sat on a bus and seen antisocial behaviour. Have we reported it? I ask the Members whether they have reported antisocial behaviour when they have seen it on a train or a bus. Clearly, 73% of people have not. New mechanisms are being set up by Dublin Bus to encourage people to report it, but it is frightening. We are not just seeing - I do not know whether one would call it this - general abuse, but specific abuse including homophobic and racists assaults. We are not just seeing it on buses. We are seeing it on our streets. However, we can tackle it on public transport.

It is very evident as to what the solution is. We need to see political support. We can do something. Senator Fitzpatrick, other Senators and I, can bring a Private Members' Bill to establish a separate transport police such as there is in the UK, but there should be absolutely no need for that. An Garda Síochána has the knowledge and trust. People trust An Garda Síochána. When they see a garda on a bus, there is visibility and more adherence to the rule of law. We do not wish to have to go down that road and bring a Private Members' Bill. We hope there will be the political will to set this up. I hope senior members of An Garda Síochána are watching us today and listening to what we have to say about our own research. Perhaps they will re-examine the matter. Perhaps they will re-examine it on a pilot basis on Nightlink buses and certain routes and extend the idea of transport police, to see if it works out and if people feel safer, and do research accordingly. It is long overdue and I am very glad we are tabling this motion today. I hope we will get support from across the House.