merrion street

Today Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Shane Ross T.D. delivers on his commitment to appoint at least one director on all public transport boards with personal experience of the difficulties faced by people with disabilities using public transport.

At the request of Minister Ross, the Public Appointments Service (PAS) will launch the application process for these posts for the boards of The National Transport Authority, Irish Rail, Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus.

Speaking this morning Minister Ross expressed his delight that these important and often overlooked travellers will now have their voice heard at the decision-making table;

“Since becoming a Minister, I have been particularly struck by the personal experiences of people with disabilities who use public transport. They make the case that the current improvements are wholly inadequate.”

“The most appropriate expert voice on difficulties of the disabled is not that of able-bodied politicians or semi-state company directors. It is their own. The most appropriate place for them to express these views is not only in the media, it is in the boardroom.”

“Well-meaning board members offering sympathy to those with reduced mobility are self-evidently less able to make practical and informed decisions than those who overcome the physical obstacles daily.”

“The process to include those with raw personal experience of disability on public transport on the boards now begins.”

A director for each of the four boards will be advertised today, with a vacancy on the CIE board to be advertised shortly. Obviously, in addition to their unique personal insight into the difficulties faced by those with disabilities. Preferably these new directors will have experience in relation to transport, industrial, commercial, financial, land use planning or environment matters and will show evidence of meeting the desirable requirements of professional experience at a senior management level.

Minister Ross added,

“I look forward to appointing a new director to these boards in the coming months and working closely with them and the boards as a whole to improving public transport for all.”