Danny Healy-Rae criticises rural transport and carbon tax use
Danny Healy-Rae spoke about rural public transport in Kerry, criticising the lack of services and the allocation of carbon tax funds to buses largely in Dublin. He welcomed eight new routes for Kerry but warned that walking and cycling targets are unrealistic for remote communities and raised concerns about school transport distances.
Rural transport shortage
He said many places in rural Kerry have no public transport, recalling that one car in a village often services six or eight families and asking whether that situation is acceptable.
New Kerry routes welcomed
He welcomed the eight new routes allocated to Kerry, noting they include services “including places like Fianna to Fianna for about three times a day,” and described that allocation as very welcome.
Carbon tax and bus allocation
He criticised the use of carbon tax receipts to fund new buses concentrated in Dublin, saying there are many large double-decker buses running nearly empty - "watch the tail swing" - while rural areas remain poorly served.
Walking and cycling targets questioned
He challenged the government’s target that 500,000 people will be walking by 2030, saying it is unrealistic for people who live in remote areas such as guinea-guilla, scottet-lin, caudal, Lorach, the Black Valley and Banan, where walking or cycling to work is impractical.
School transport concern
He argued that school transport should not leave any child behind, stating that children more than one kilometre from school should not be disadvantaged and expressing concern about current arrangements.
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I am glad to get the opportunity to talk about this very important subject because public transport in many places in rural Kerry we do not have and when we hear Eamon Rhine going back some couple of years ago when he mentioned that one car in the village would service six or eight different families I mean, is that ideal that he is still going by or that the government is going by? Well, I do welcome the eight new routes that are allocated to Kerry are supposed to be allocated anyway including places like Fianna to Fianna for about three times a day That is very welcome However, I believe that much of the carbon tax that's been collected here after the $225 million that was given away the other day is bus after bus and new bus after new bus here for Dublin City and double-deckers and double-deckers and there's more long ones that there's a big sign on the on the on the on the on the left-hand corner and watch the tail swing they're so big now and they're so plentiful and there's hardly room for anything else as if we watch there outside the dark gate they're at one after one after the other and there's only about two or three people the very most inside any one of them I mean places like guinea-guilla, scottet-lin and caudal them places are very far away and when we hear the government saying that 500,000 people will be walking by 2030 well, can you imagine walking from places like that to work or cycling from guinea-guilla or scottet-lin or even go back to Lorach or the Black Valley or Banan and to think that your only way to go to work would be walking or cycling I mean that's not our minister and I know that maybe it didn't by choice he tied onto the Green Party but nevertheless he did tie yourselves onto them and that's the worry that I have I say about school transport no child should have to be left behind if they are more than one kilometre from the school you
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