Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I, too, welcome our guests to the Gallery today. As a member of the autism committee, I am proud of the achievement of getting autism-friendly accreditation for the Houses of the Oireachtas. It is a really important day for us all. I give particular credit to the chair of the committee, which I know Senator Ardagh has already done. Senator Carrigy has driven this through the Houses over the last year or so. He has been an excellent and exemplary chair in doing so. He deserves great credit for what has been achieved in this House and for what he has done to raise the profile of autistic people in this country through the autism committee.

The committee has already linked in with the Scottish Parliament. There is an open conversation taking place with it and it is looking at what we have done here in Ireland. I am sure it will be one of the next parliaments to follow the lead of Leinster House.

I also thank Róisín Deery for her considerable work. Róisín was the one who was pushing this accreditation in the background and, as Senator Carrigy said, making the phone calls. It is a proud day for us all. I thank Senator Carrigy for being a wonderful chair in pushing that forward.

I also raise the National Transport Authority's announcement within the last hour and a half of its national fares determination. The Cathaoirleach will be familiar with the fact that commuting is one of the biggest issues I raise in this House. Today is a good day for what the NTA is now referring to as the Dublin commuter zone. It will mean reductions in single adult fares of 45% from the train station in Newbridge and 37% from Kildare town. That is what we have learned so far. This document has only been published in the last hour and a half. It is 90 page long, so we want to walk through it. I ask that the Leader request the Minister for Transport to come back to the House to discuss commuting, rail fares and this document. When we discussed the matter in February last year the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, told me that towns were being treated unfairly with regard to rail fares. As a result of that, and a campaign by the Newbridge Labour Party on fares determination that has run for six years and collected 8,000 signatures, we are where we are today. I also give great credit to Jennifer Caffrey and Newbridge Community Development for the organisation's campaign. It has dealt with 1,800 families in Newbridge, Kildare town and Kilcullen who are affected on their daily commute.

The Cathaoirleach will be aware that the last time we spoke on this issue, I mentioned that the N7 and M7 are a car park. Reducing rail fares is a way of ensuring that fares do not constitute a reason for anybody not using public transport or having to get into their car to travel, in the case of Newbridge, to Sallins train station. It is a good news day and we will need to work through this. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate with the Minister, so we can move forward again.