As the Minister said, nearly every Deputy who spoke emphasised the necessity for allowing a Committee of the House to look into CIE expenditure in more detail. I was very glad to hear the Minister say that he was in total agreement with that. I presume some legislation will be necessary for this purpose, through the Department of the Taoiseach or the Department of Finance—
Transport (No. 2) Bill, 1974: Committee and Report Stages.
Section 1 agreed to.
SECTION 2.
Question proposed: "That section 2 stand part of the Bill."
The Department of the Public Service.
I trust that the Minister will press as much as he possibly can to have it introduced because he is the man who is most involved with the semi-State bodies. I think he has about ten——
More actually.
I can count ten offhand. It is not only a matter of looking into the way the money is expended. Deputies and Senators could make worthwhile proposals and recommendations to the board of CIE because they are so familiar with their own constituencies that they can see things which the board could not possibly know about. Some of these suggestions would mean very much to the board with regard to the spending of these huge amounts of money and we look forward to seeing this legislation being introduced.
I do not think it is necessary for me to repeat that I am in sympathy with the views expressed by Members in this regard. This is the subject of investigation by the Departments of the Public Service and Finance. As Deputies are aware, it is more involved than merely telling a number of officials to have a look at CIE. There has to be legislation, and control, in a certain way, but I am in sympathy with the views expressed by the Deputies that there should be an investigation.
Section 2 deals with a grant of £11.3 million in addition to the grants already payable to the board. In replying to the debate on this Bill the Minister, when referring to the provincial bus service, informed us that last year the profit was £289,000 but this year there is a loss of £250,000. In this regard I should like to put forward a suggestion that might improve the income on the provincial bus service. When travelling to Dublin through Kildare and the Curragh I meet many soldiers thumbing lifts to their barracks. Some of them are due to commence duty in the Curragh at 9.30. In this connection I should mention that because of the success of the recent recruitment campaign there is not sufficient accommodation at the Curragh for soldiers.
I feel sure that the Minister for Defence would be anxious to facilitate these soldiers in getting to their barracks. I have spoken to a number of these soldiers and have pointed out to them that an empty provincial bus, travelling from Portumna to Mountmellick and on to Dublin, had passed them but their reply was that they could not afford to travel by bus. It is my suggestion that, as a step towards cutting the losses on the provincial bus service, CIE should offer a cut price ticket to soldiers in uniform travelling in any part of the country. I am aware that the roads are cluttered with hitch-hikers but these soldiers are merely endeavouring to get to their barracks on time in the morning.
The Minister for Defence regularly has advertisements inserted in the newspapers to entice young men to join the Army but I feel it is wrong that the State subsidised transport system should pass soldiers who are seeking a lift to their respective barracks. I am not suggesting that they should be given free travel because anything given for nothing is never properly appreciated. The same situation arises in other towns and I am sure the Minister for Transport and Power has seen soldiers hitching lifts outside Cork city. A number of the army barracks do not have residential facilities with the result that soldiers are obliged to find accommodation elsewhere. In a number of cases this means living some distance from the barracks and very often there is no public transport service operating at the time they leave for work. Consultations should take place with the management of CIE with a view to providing an economy ticket for soldiers in uniform. This will help to reduce the loss on the provincial bus service.
As I stated earlier, the suggestions made by Deputies will be brought to the notice of CIE. I will be glad to include this suggestion.
Question put and agreed to.
Sections 3 to 6, inclusive, agreed to.
Bill reported without amendment.