Meath public transport
Deputy Tóibín described severe bus overcrowding and long commutes in County Meath. The Minister said remote-working hubs and co-working spaces are being developed and she would raise the transport difficulties with the Transport Minister.
There is a public transport crisis in County Meath. It can often take up to two hours to travel the 30 miles from Navan to Dublin, which means a four-hour commute every day for families. This is on the occasions the bus actually arrives because there are many occasions it will not arrive. When it does arrive, it is full, leaving dozens of people wating at bus stops unable to get to work. This morning the majority of workers left County Meath to work elsewhere. This happens in no other county. Navan is the largest town in the State which is not served by a rail line. We have a serious situation where families are being stuffed in commuting in County Meath. Before the Minister steps into any further photo opportunity on the issue of climate change, will she ensure bus services to my county actually work?
Comment on this
A lot of people commute from County Meath to Dublin. That is why as part of the future jobs initiative, a whole-of-government initiative, I have been looking more at the issue of remote working and developing hubs to where people can come to work in co-working spaces. I accept the Deputy's comments about the difficulties, which I will raise with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross. It is about how we can reduce commuting times and improve quality of life. That is why we will put a strong focus on remote working in hubs with co-working spaces.