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Seanad
‹ Order of Business

Public transport and ministerial priorities

Summary

A Senator argued for reliable public transport, stronger investment, and Ministers who concentrate on their briefs rather than distractions. The exchange became noisy, with interjections about named Ministers and the Chair restoring order.

I echo the comments made by a previous Senator about public transport and certainly in terms of Irish Rail. We do need reliable rail transport. When a person boards a train, he or she should have a reasonable expectation to arrive on time, no matter whether it is on the northside or the southside of the city. Above all, what we need is investment in public transport. We need reliable public transport. If we are going to reduce carbon emissions, we need a proper public service. Above all, we need a Minister who cares about transport, not just about granny grants. We need a Minister who cares about transport, not just about judicial appointments.

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Above all, we need a Minister who will concentrate on his brief and provide a proper public transport service for the country. I call on my colleagues in the Government and Fine Gael to try to ensure we get Ministers who care about their portfolios, not about everything else. What is happening across the country in areas ranging from the carbon tax to public transport and the fodder crisis is that we have Ministers who do not really matter and do not really care about their portfolios.

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Senator Humphreys was a Minister of State.

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Senator Humphreys has only mentioned one Minister. He said "Ministers," plural.

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Paul Coghlan An Leas-Chathaoirleach Fine Gael

Order, please.

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