Vol. 248 No. 2
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will take immediate steps to ensure that a company (name supplied) is authorised to provide free travel facilities to old age pensioners and others entitled to free travel facilities in the Berehaven Peninsula.
12.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is yet in a position to indicate when he proposes to extend the free travel facilities, at present available only on CIE and Lough Swilly Company buses, to include the other licensed omnibus service operators throughout the State.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 12 together.
As was indicated in reply to a previous question, the provision of free travel on the bus services of private operators is under active consideration. Much progress has been made and examination of the problem is now almost completed. However, many operators are involved and it would not be practicable to select one operator rather than another for special consideration. The problem is being approached with a view to applying the scheme to all private operators who are prepared to participate in it and I hope to be in a position to negotiate agreements with these before very long.
Is the Minister not aware that the so-called negotiations have been going on for the past three years? My question relates specifically to the Berehaven peninsula district where a private bus service is in operation. Is it fair that those people living in the Berehaven peninsula area and who are entitled to free travel are put in the position of having to pay their fares because the area is too lean for CIE to bother about? Surely the Minister does not think we will be satisfied with the type of answer he has given us or with the type of answer that we received from his predecessor in relation to this matter? I want to know when the service will be provided?
The Deputy may not discuss these questions at length.
I am asking questions, Sir.
This service can only be provided when we reach satisfactory agreement with all these private bus operators.
I do not know why my question was grouped with another one since it relates specifically to the Berehaven peninsula. The peninsula is 44 miles in length——
As I have pointed out to the Deputy, he may not discuss these questions at length.
I do not wish to put the Chair to the trouble of my having to raise the question on the Adjournment. This is the place to deal with these grievances. I have waited patiently now for three years but nothing is happening. I want to know if the service will be provided and the approximate date of its being put into operation. There is no use in the Minister trying to dodge the issue as his predecessor dodged it.
Could the Minister tell the House why it has taken so long to reach agreement with private bus operators? Surely it should be a simple matter to agree to terms in the same way as agreement was reached with CIE?
(Cavan): Is the Minister not aware that this problem is not confined to County Cork?
This is the problem.
(Cavan): The problem extends as far as Cavan.
The question relates to the Berehaven peninsula.
As the Ceann Comhairle reminds the House, the question relates specifically to Berehaven peninsula.
I must answer Deputy Murphy first. The reason why I am not giving him a definite date is because this matter is tied in with the other services throughout the country. We are negotiating with these firms but we are not finding it easy to arrive at a general scheme that would be acceptable to all of them.
Surely the Berehaven peninsula is an exceptional area?
I take no pleasure in having these negotiations protracted. There is a general scheme in operation with CIE. It is easy for a Deputy to ask why the scheme could not apply to these other private firms but they would not all accept the same scheme. Therefore, we are endeavouring to work out an overall agreement and this would include also Deputy Fitzpatrick's area.
When did the negotiations commence?
I have recently requested that they be brought to a head one way or the other. When I was in this Department previously I had negotiations commenced with one company in Waterford and with a company in another place so that they started then.
Therefore, they have been going on for a few years.
Berehaven is exceptional because of its geographical layout. It is far removed from this capital and it is many miles from Cork city. Since these services are operating in other areas, there should be no difficulty in getting approval for a scheme for Berehaven peninsula without any further delay.
Question No. 13.
I shall communicate with the Deputy in regard to this matter because I do not wish to delay the House by giving details of the many difficulties we are encountering in this regard.
