Vol. 218 No. 8
asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that representations have been made by all the traders in Prince's Street, Marlboro Street, Cook Street and upper Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork to the Chief Superintendent of the Garda in Cork suggesting that he should review the siting of the incoming bus-stop at the South Mall, Cork; and if, in view of the representations, it is intended to carry out the review sought.
50.
asked the Minister for Justice if it is a fact that the Chief Superintendent in charge of the Garda at Union Quay Barracks, Cork has refused to see a deputation representative of 300 Cork city traders relative to the resiting of bus-stops at the South Mall, Cork; and, if so, if he will suggest to the officer in question that the views of such a body of traders are worthy of consideration.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 50 together.
The Chief Superintendent received a deputation representative of local traders to discuss this matter last July. He did so solely as a matter of courtesy, to explain to them that his duty, in relation to but stops, is not such as to permit him to reject the proposals of CIE in the interests of local traders.
On 21st October, the Chief Superintendent received a request to receive a further deputation. On the same day as the request was sent to him, copies appear to have been sent to all public representatives in Cork. In view of this unusual manner of approach and the fact that this matter had already been raised by the Deputy in the Dáil, the Chief Superintendent submitted a report for my information and asked for directions. My decision in the matter is that he should not receive a second deputation, as his doing so could only lead to continued misunderstanding of the police function in relation to bus stops.
The control of the siting of bus stops that is exercised by the Garda Síochána is designed to ensure that bus stops are not so sited as to involve avoidable danger to or interference with general traffic. It would be an abuse of their powers for the Garda Síochána to require CIE to provide a bus stop, against CIE's own judgement, at the behest of particular groups of traders.
In the present instance, the initiative for the change came from CIE and, since the change is, in the opinion of the Gardaí, an obvious improvement from the point of view both of safety and of traffic-flow, there was (and is) no reason, as far as the Gardaí were concerned, why it should not be approved.
I would add that, in the opinion of the Garda Síochána (though this aspect is primarily a matter for CIE), the present arrangement also serves the interests of the great majority of bus passengers on the routes better than any possible alternative, though they are aware that it is not necessarily better suited to the interests of certain traders.
