asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he is aware that the bus service between Waterford and Tramore is inadequate; and, if so, what action he proposes to take.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Waterford-Tramore Bus Service.
12.
I am not clear as to whether the Deputy is referring to the contract bus service which he claimed in this House on 16th February (Official Report Vol. 186, Column 699) would take £2,000 to £3,000 a year from the coffers of C.I.E. or to the C.I.E. service which on the same occasion he exhorted Waterford people not to use. I am not aware of any inadequacy in the service provided by C.I.E.
The Minister said he would provide an adequate service. The service provided by C.I.E. is not adequate to convey the people to Tramore. Sixty-five people has to wait at the Manor Street cross from 1.45 p.m. to 3.45 p.m. last Thursday. Some of them did not get to Tramore at all. Where were the 20 buses C.I.E. promised us?
C.I.E. have received only one complaint——
Only one complaint?
Yes, in regard to inadequate service on the 11th instant, Ascension Thursday, the day to which the Deputy refers. On that day, in spite of the Deputy's propaganda, for some extraordinary reason a vastly greater number of persons wanted to travel by bus than travelled by rail on the same day the previous year. C.I.E. have occasionally to face difficulties of that kind. They must go on the basis of logs in previous years and make whatever adjustment they think necessary, having regard to the special circumstances. This year, for the above reason they grossly underestimated the traffic. There was some delay but it was not as excessive as the Deputy has stated.
The Minister says more people used the train on the same day twelve months ago. That is not the point. The Minister promised the House he would have an adequate bus service there to replace the train. Whenever the train was there it was able to take whatever people——
I do not want this to develop into a debate.
I have already said that C.I.E. have has only one serious complaint and it concerned that day. They admitted there was a temporary inadequate bus service. Those people were mostly taken by a later bus. It may interest the Deputy that the private bus service which he exhorted the people to use and the C.I.E. bus service are, together, taking more people than ever travelled by the rail service.
What the Minister has said now is a lie.
I demand that the Deputy withdraw that statement.
The Deputy must withdraw that statement.
When the matter is so incorrect, it must be a lie.
It is unparliamentary.
Substitute the word "untruth".
I withdraw it only because it is unparliamentary.
The numbers of persons travelling by rail in the month of April, 1960, were just over 16,000. Travelling by C.I.E. alone by road in 1961, they were just over 17,000. It is estimated that between 3,000 and 4,000 people travelled in the same month of 1961 by the private contract service.
I will allow no more supplementaries.
We will get the rainfall of last April for the Minister. He will hear more about this.