Éamon Ó Cuív Demands 20% Cut to Islander Transport Fares

Goedemíl mágat, Cathaoirleach Four minutes And I have to say, first of all, before I commence, what I have to say is, there was an understanding, I thought, certainly in the last aisle, that the Minister would come in and that if the Minister wasn't available, the Deputy would have the option of deferring the matter until the Minister was available to come into the House. No such option was afforded to me, Cathaoirleach, and I had hoped that that would be noted on the record of the House, because, you know, we're back to the bad old days and bad habits die hard in this House and you're here a lot longer than I was, and you know, as well as I know, that, you know, you bring something and you progress something and the minute your back is turned, it regresses to the old system. Now, I raised this issue immediately after the announcement that bus and railfares were going to be reduced by 20% on the mainland. When I raised this issue with the Minister, I was given a number of reasons why this couldn't happen. I pursued the matter within our own parliamentary party with the Taoiseach. I also spoke to the Minister of Public Expenditure, who had no problem funding any change. And after that, I was told the matter was referred to the AG. Now, what was the big problem on the islands? Well, I was told the big problems on the islands that there are private companies providing services to the islands. And that that wasn't the case with the bus and train services. Now, of course, that's not true. For example, Expressway do not benefit from the 20%, nor do, nor do the other many private companies providing regular bus services. On the other hand, Minister, as I told the Minister the first day, there is a unique range on the island because there are contracted services that are put out to public tender. But in putting them out to public tender, there is a unique islander rate. In other words, if an islander goes into contracted service, they do not pay the commercial fare. They pay a predetermined rate that is determined by the department. I introduced that whole process. I remember setting the fees at an adult return at €8, no matter what both services they were taking, no matter how far out into the sea. That was the max, €5 for students and for youth and nothing under five years of age. That was raised to €10. And this is unique. So if you go on the private operator that is operating commercially, there is no obligation in them to provide that service. It is that rate that we want reduced. We do not want to touch the commercial rates, which is a matter for the operator. And in my memory, the operator told you what commercial rate, but they set the rate, whereas in the islander rate it was set. And I had hoped that in the intervening weeks that the department would have looked at the actual issue involved here, instead of giving the push off. Now the other extraordinary thing they seem to think is, well this is for buses and trains, and you are looking for an air service to the Arden Island and for a boat service. Well there is not much point, to be quite honest Minister, to offering, I was out in Inishmoor today at a funeral, there is not much point in offering a train service from Inishmoor onto the mainland. We do not have underwater rail, nor a bus service. So I do not think the mode of transport makes much difference. And therefore Minister, I am asking for this issue to be dealt with, and for the islander and islander only unique fares to be reduced by 20% forthwith. Because the year is going on, this scheme is nearly in two months, and we have not any movement on it at all. Thank you Deputy O'Keefe for raising this very important matter. The sustainability of communities on our and off our shore islands is a core objective of the Government, as set out in its rural development policy of 2021 to 2025, our rural future. The policy acknowledges the importance of islands communities of access to reliable, safe and affordable connectivity services to and from the mainland. Contracts for these services are procured by the Department of Rural and Community Development on the open market through the procurement process. This ensures that all providers are treated equally, and that all selection process is fair and transparent for all. The Department of Transport recently introduced a fair reduction scheme that sees an average of 20% reduction on PSO public transport services that are managed by the National Transport Authority. Therefore, the scheme covers public transport services operated by Ireland Road Erin, Bus Erin, Dublin Bus, Lewis, Go Ahead Ireland and TFI Local Link. It is important to note that other subsidised transport services managed by the Department of Transport, such as the PSO Air Service of Donegal and Kerry, are not covered by the scheme. Similarly, the subsidised transport services managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development to the offshore islands do not qualify for the scheme. Unlike the services managed by the NTA, offshore islands have a mix of subsidised and non-subsidised transport services. While the Department is, of course, open to examining ways of ensuring that island transport services are affordable, it is concerned that the introduction of a fair reduction scheme for subsidised services could bring the existing contracts and procurement processes into disrepute. All of the contracted air, ferry and cargo services managed by the Department are procured in an open and fair procedure. Providing a fair reduction scheme for chosen suppliers could have the potential to undermine those procedures, and may also lead to reduced services to the islands, particularly with regard to non-subsidised services and other private operators who may be placed at a disadvantage. The Minister has sought advice from the Attorney-General in relation to this matter, and officials are continuing to engage in this regard. Thank you Gerda. Minister, you are a very fair man, and more importantly, you are a highly intelligent man. I am sure you were embarrassed reading that out. I have to say, I think the whole red herring of the PSO, Donegal, Kerry services can be put aside. Because there are buses going to Donegal and there are buses and trains going to Kerry, right to the airport in the case of Kerry. As I pointed out, it does not quite work that way when you are trying to get to an island. The next point you made was, similarly, the subsidised transport services managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development to the offshore islands do not qualify for the scheme. Yes, we know that, that is why I am standing here tonight. But you did not give us the reason, other that the Minister would not do it. The next thing you say is that if you reduce the €10 standard fare for islanders just that to €8, that it would bring the scheme into disrepute. When I was Minister, I did exactly that because it used to be a lot higher and it used to be variable. I set the rate and it never brought it. In fact, the opposite of being in disrepute on the island, I think I was held in high esteem. And the next thing you make the point that if the very small number relative to the number of tourists and other people who go to the islands, if they got this little reduction, that this would undermine the commercial non-contracted routes, non-contracted services. Again, Minister, you must have cringed reading that out because the reality is, if you have a guaranteed €10 fare and the normal tourist fare is €20, why would you take the transport with the €20 when it is already there available in the contracted service at this predetermined rate? Furthermore, Minister, will you name all the islands that have private services parallel to the contracted services department? Because I have a fair knowledge of the islands. There certainly may be one or two, but there are few and far between. So, Minister, maybe if you haven't got the answers tonight, you will go back to the Department and the Minister and ask that they really address this issue and send me a written reply addressing the issue. I will certainly hear Deputy O'Keefe's very cogent and well-taught-up points and I will certainly bring all of those to the attention of the Minister, who unfortunately cannot be here this evening in relation to it. What I can say is that unlike the PSO routes managed by the NTA, the Department of Rural and Community Development does not subsidise all services and all routes, as has been said. And therefore careful consideration must be given to any change that could substantially alter the contracts or put private operators at a disadvantage. But I have certainly heard the Deputy and I will bring the Deputy's concerns to the Minister's attention. Thank you for cutting it short because it would have been a further embarrassment.