Mattie McGrath: Scouts left without seats on pre-booked train
Mattie McGrath raised alarm over a dangerous overcrowding incident on a return train carrying 35 scouts and cubs and seven leaders, urging the Taoiseach and the Minister for Transport to investigate and seek reimbursement. He said the group had pre-booked seats, paid £1500 for the trip, and were forced to sit on tables, floors and in bathrooms, putting children and other passengers at risk.
Summary of the incident
The deputy described a weekend journey in which 35 scouts and cubs with seven leaders travelled to Dublin by train. On the return leg, despite pre-booked tickets and payment of £1500, the group had no seats, two carriages were missing from the train, and some ticket numbers were not on the train - children sat on tables, under tables, on floors and in toilets.
Call for investigation and reimbursement
He urged the Taoiseach and the Minister for Transport to investigate the episode, calling it an "outrageous" situation and saying the lives of the children and other passengers had been seriously put at risk. He pressed for the scout troop to be reimbursed and for safety issues to be addressed.
Ministerial response and follow-up
A ministerial response offered to receive the details and make direct contact with Irish Rail. The minister also said he would be happy to make direct contact with the train operator and noted support for scouting through the Sports Capital Programme.
Broader concerns and public reporting
The deputy said similar problems were happening regularly and that he had received calls from around the country, noting the issue had been aired on Joe Duffy. He suggested the matter might also be pursued by parliamentary question to ensure action on passenger safety and group travel arrangements.
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It is a program for government, transport and transport safety, I don't know where Minister Ross is, but last weekend, care scouts and care beavers and cubs travelled to Dublin by train, 35 scouts and cubs with 7 gallant leaders, who do great work, on the return journey, on pre-booked tickets, they had no seats, the characters that their numbers for wasn't even on the train, they'd sit on tables, under tables and in the bathrooms and on the floors, a highly dangerous situation, and first of all they paid £1500 for this trip, so I want you, Taoiseach, the Minister for Transport, to investigate this, because the lives of the children were seriously put at risk, and other passengers, and this is happening regularly, but this is 35 small children, Nadine Ioga, and they're gathering scout leaders, and 1500 expense, paid for pre-booked tickets, there were two carriages missing off the train, the ticket numbers that they had on return, I think it's an outrageous situation for Irish Whale, but at least Irish Whale can be forced to do, is reimburse the scout troop in care, and indeed do something about safety issues, it's happening, I'm getting calls from all over the country, it's happening regularly, because this has been aired on Joe Duffy, I think it's outrageous, I think it's outrageous, it's more, perhaps a parliamentary question, Minister, yeah, no, just to respond, look, thank you, if you could pass me on the details, I'd be happy to make direct, if you could pass them on to me as well, I'd be happy to make direct contact, with Irish Rail, and just on the issue of scouting, even though it's a difficult time at the moment, you know, we do support the scouts as well, through the Sports Capital Programme, a lot of scouting groups around the country, recently received substantial funding, and just want to recognise the great work that they do, around the country as well. Thank you.
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