merrion street

I would encourage people over the holiday period to utilise public transport as much as possible over the coming days.  With the Easter and Mayday holidays overlapping and with a large number of major sporting and cultural events occurring, there will be a very high level of commuting taking place across the country.

Over the next two weekends there are major GAA, rugby and horse-racing events taking place. In the case of each of these events there are special train and bus services being provided. I would urge anyone attending the national football and hurling league finals, the European Rugby Cup semi-final or the Fairyhouse racing festival to leave their car at home and utilise public transport where possible.

More than ever, rail and bus services in Ireland provide a cost effective, safe and environmentally friendly mode of transport. With ever increasing petrol and diesel prices, rail and bus transport are now the cheapest way of travel in Ireland. In particular the Minister complimented Irish Rail for its new and more competitive pricing scheme. It is now possible, when booking in advance, to travel by rail on any service between Cork and Dublin for

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It is the policy of the new government to prioritise public transport over road transport but naturally there are legacy issues of generations of underinvestment. However it remains policy base public transport around the needs of the public.

Timetables and schedules that reflect public demand and fares that make rail and bus transport the sensible option must be prioritised even in a harsh economic climate.  An ongoing priority for the Minister is to make public transport more consumer-friendly though a much greater use of smart technology.