Danny Healy-Rae urges new bus stops and revised school transport

Thank you Chairman, I'm glad to get the opportunity and welcome me back here again today and thank you very much for that because there's a lot of issues and I suppose in tandem with the questions I raised two weeks ago, I have a new one. First of all, Iron Mills which is on the 270 route from Kinmere to Kilgarven to Killarney and there's a request there at St Dinty for a bus stop at Iron Mills to serve the people of Crosstown, Gottohoosh, Glenflask, that entire area and it's only my suggestion that he could drive into the old in 22, there's a turn off lane and everything and it would be much safer to go in there, there's even room to turn the bus if they wanted to come back out again or continue on the old road and come out just before the railway crossing as you know well going into Killarney so there's an option to do that there and I'm asking you to consider that there because there's a massive amount of houses close in close in that vicinity, Crosstown and Artie Gallivan and Headford and people could park there and turn there and wait there for the bus or whatever so that's just a new request I haven't in. I suppose maybe it's too soon to ask Mr. Kent about the Headford room, the Headford school room that he would to consider where they have the 10 children now, they just got the number just before September the last days and we're told we have to wait for another year and I don't think there's any need to wait for another year. I mean these children are going to facilitate parents who are working and everything to drive around that way and pick them up and take them to one of those schools so I wonder if you have any answer to that yet? I'll take that one Deputy, I suppose one of the key criteria for establishing a service each school year is that we have a minimum of 10 eligible pupils and what I recognise you're saying that we now have the 10, you know they have to be prior to the closing date each year and I suppose that is part of the criteria just to allow us time to be able to plan routes and to procure services that are required and to go through the checks and vetting that we have to go through. So my understanding on that one is that yes we are looking at the numbers again in conjunction with the local office but as I said the criteria is that we do need 10 pupils who are eligible under the guidelines of the scheme who are in by the closing date and that is one of the criteria. I'm conscious of the criteria. I'm conscious of the criteria. I'm conscious of the time I suppose but I'm asking so will the criteria be changed to allow consideration and considering that to so early in the terrain. You know we're still before Halloween and I think there should be a loan given for that so I'm just asking to consider that again. And I suppose Mr. Kint was also, I asked you about the Farron 4 bus stop on the Inn 22 and where to stopping outside the Kint local pharmacy and people are waiting there with cars, with passengers for the bus and waiting there to pick up passengers. Is there any advance in asking, in my ask that the buses go into the railway station and turn around inside there, there's a bus shelter, people are standing in the rain as it is on both sides of the national primary route, a busy national primary route holding up. When the bus pulls in, the queue can be often increased to a kilometre back up towards Killarney and likewise coming in from Tralee to the other side so they're blocking one lane of another national primary route. So have you any answer to that? I wrote to you on Friday, it's gone so it should be there because I got a team of people went down the previous Friday after you raised it and I got sent 100 pictures. So there are issues, there are little issues in there in terms of accessing the station, funding, there's turn things, there are issues that are going to have to be sorted out. I was also looking alternative outside and there's areas outside that pharmacy if we were to come back but we'd need an engagement with the council. So my response to you at the moment is yes we've had a look but there are a few issues that will require a conversation with Irish Rail which I said I will try and have a conversation with today. But there will be local authority issues and there will be funding to be addressed if we were going to do it. So that's based on what I look at, it's not as simple as I hoped for. But I did also say that I support your idea of trying to make sure we integrate the bus with the station, it's just that it's not a flick of a switch, it will require a bit of collaboration. Well you're working. And just the other thing I had to mention there that you're considering along the over 70s to drive 8 seaters or whatever, I'm not happy with that figure because I feel they're well capable of driving the medium which is 25 to 30 seats. And if we look at it, you know from the point of view, an 80 year old can drive a car with four passengers and himself inside it anyway and there's no question at all legally, nationally, throughout the country, there are plenty fellows of that age driving, taking people, four people. So I don't see that as much of an advance in what we've been asking for so many years. So if someone undergoes one medical test or two medical tests each year, it would be more, you know, to be sure or free than maybe having younger drivers that are not tested as medically tested as much at all. Thank you. And just the other thing, in relation to the 270 route, I'm asking you to provide more bus stops along the route. It is grand to see the buses passing. Thank you. When people can't get, are all illiquidated and they can't get inted, it is much good to a lot of people. There's an awful link to the road from Kilmer to Kilgarven to Kilarnley. Thank you. And you see, it's no good if we can't park and get on. Yeah. So the bus won't stop from, so I'm asking you to keep that in order. Thank you. Thank you.