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TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said he will engage with the Ministers for Justice and Transport on the issue of transport police, as well as ensuring public transport is safe, efficient and affordable.
Over the summer months there have been renewed calls for a stand alone transport police on public transport following a number of attacks, such as the headbutting of a man who was on the bus with his friends.
It is understood that a number of Fianna Fáil TDs have raised the matter of violence on Ireland’s public transport, calling for more to be done.
Tom O’Connor from the National Bus and Rail Union has said investment in public transport services is “for naught” if people don’t feel safe using public transport.
Sinn Féin’s Justice spokesperson, Martin Kenny, said the attack “once again underlines the need to establish a transport policing system”.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has previously said any decision on whether there’d be a dedicated transport police would be better for the Garda Commissioner rather than the Government. It is understood the Commissioner is not in favour of a stand alone transport police, which would be similar to other forces in other jurisdictions, such as London.
At last night’s Fianna Fáil parliamentary meeting, the Taoiseach also outlined the ongoing work on a cost-of-living package that will be unveiled on budget day.
He told TDs and senators that the Government is determined to alleviate the pressures on people and protect jobs.
“We are developing a method to maximise the direct support for families and workers,” he said.
Bertie Ahern
In addition, and not for the first time, there were calls from a number of TDs to readmit Bertie Ahern to the party.
During a discussion on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next year, Senator Niall Blaney and TD Barry Cowen said the time was right for him to be brought back to the party.
Cowen also called on the Taoiseach to seek through his office that the ESB either proceed with renewable projects at obsolete power plants with a timescale rather than more unfulfilled promises or release properties to local authorities who can oversee open market competition which accommodates renewable projects such as district heating options.
At Varadkar’s parliamentary party meeting last night it is understood that TDs and senators had a long list of requests to be included in the budget.
He told party members the budget preparations are coming along, stating that the focus is on helping families and businesses with energy costs.
The budget announced on 27 September will be the biggest budget package in several years, he said.
Regarding the cost of living, the budget will consist of universal measures to help everyone including hard pressed middle income earners and targeted assistance for those who need it most including pensioners, carers and the disabled, he said.
Varadkar said such unpredictability in the energy market may necessitate further intervention by Government again next year stating that there is a need to keep something in reserve.
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It’s gas, during the pandemic the Guards were sent to break up gatherings at the drop of a hat for public safety.
An issue like safety on public transport that’s been going on for years and the government needs meetings after meetings.
Good , also read the article on risks for taxi drivers and why they are shying away from late nite shifts too / we need to do a much much better job of enforcing law and order in general / the scrotes and trouble makers are acting without any cares / too many suspended sentences and no real consequences / Dublin is getting to the stage where people have stopped bothering reporting incidents to Garda / new transport police maybe bit theres no excuses for not tipping the balance back in favour of victims and ordinary people / the way the scrotes behaving is beyond joke / take their free travel pass off repeat offenders for starters they give 2 fingers when asked leave train and jumo on the next one with free travel pass its beyond a jome of a city at this stage
@Dave Hammond: well said
Why is the commissioner not in favour of stand alone police force for transport? It works in other countries… for years in this country we had Dublin port police and the harbour police….we also have the aerport police…. all stand alone from the department of justice but they had basic power’s of arrest and detention…the government is constantly banging on about more garda on the streets surly this would free up regular policeing unit’s if you have a designated transport police …..also may i ask when we handed over an garda to the new commissioner from the psni did the government also give away the authority of the minister for justice to dictate government policy to the commissioner OBE /MBE ?
@Dave Ryan: stand-alone transport police is silly. Basically there’ll be too few to cover all stations and every single route, if there was, half of them would have nothing to do. A complete waste of resources. They may have also ventured to the other side of town and take ages to respond. Then you try call the normal guards and they wouldn’t feel obligated to tend to it as it is a matter for the so-called transport police.
Airport police is easy as there’s very few of them and they can guard a substantial population at any one time, its also key security point for the country.
@Name Goes Here: i take in everything you say and agree with alott off it and thank you for putting your point Across with manners… unlike many on here
@Dave Ryan: they have powers of arrest not of detention. Creating a separate transport police just creates duplication of workers and is not cost effective.
Allow me to paraphrase: ‘We will not have a proper Police force, that won’t work here, we need to keep that money for the energy companies. The time is right to bring back the man who Charlie Haughey referred to as the most corrupt of the corrupt.’
have your say