WATCH: BusConnects G-Spine Issues.

Full transcript:

Patrick Costello TD – The National Transport Authority, NTA’s roll-out of BusConnects has been, to be blunt, a bit of a mess. In my constituency, residents are losing the services they like without any clarity as to when the improved infrastructure to make the bus service run effectively will be in place. The 58 is due to come once an hour, which is not sufficient. The number 60 comes once an hour, leaving people without effective public transport. I will be raising this directly with the Minister for Transport, but I want assurances that Government will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the NTA delivers effective public transport including, if necessary, reviewing the structure of the NTA itself if it is failing to deliver effective public transport.

Taoiseach –  appreciate the matter the Deputy raises will be of real concern and interest to people living in Dublin South-Central. These are, of course, matters for the Minister for Transport and the NTA. I know that, when such issues arise in my constituency, it is sometimes a question of a trade-off between a more convenient service that picks you up closer to your house and a more frequent services that requires you to walk a bit of a distance. It can be hard to convince people that this is an improvement. Indeed, sometimes it is not, which is why it is important the NTA listens to communities and to the Deputy’s remarks.