An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business Seanad Éireann — 2025-12-09 ============================================================ Fiona O'Loughlin (FF), Administrative Panel Local Link has been a lifeline for people in many rural areas. There was huge investment put into it during the term of office of the previous Government. The service in my area has been a tremendous success. I refer to the 888 route, by means of which people from Athy, Monasterevin and Rathangan can travel to Allenwood. People are using the route on a regular basis. We are also rolling out another service to Suncroft. There are two points about the service that need to be made at national level. While the service is in situ , there are a number of places where it is not possible to place bus stops because they are not deemed to be safe. Of course, safety is hugely important. When the authorities in Scotland introduced that country's version of Local Link, they put the proper infrastructure in place. They put in stops where buses could pull in safely. As a result, everyone was clear as to where they could get on and get off buses. The system here lacks that clarity. I am seeking a debate with the Minister for Transport in respect of rural transport regarding how we can make it safer and more accessible by investing in the type of infrastructure to which I refer with our county councils. Many of the buses being used are too big. We really only need mini buses for many of the short journeys people need to make. Some of the larger buses are quite empty. Because of their size, it is more difficult for them to pull in safely. We need to look at that as well. I look forward having a debate on the matter, possibly in the new year. Today, Australia has banned under-16s from certain social media platforms. We need to have a debate in relation to that matter. Fianna Fáil carried out a survey and is currently engaging with Coimisiún na Meán. Some children as young as four have access to smartphones. The average age in this regard is six. There is no doubt that being able to engage online has many benefits and advantages. Unfortunately, however, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. We need to have a serious conversation, both in this House and, of course, within society more widely. The final issue I wish to raise relates to secondary schools. Projects relating to two schools in Kildare South are proceeding to tender stage. I refer to the Cross and Passion College, CPC, in Kilcullen and the Patrician Secondary School in Newbridge. Despite these projects, the schools in question are not going to be able to accommodate the growing population. We still do not have a date for project relating to the new Curragh Community School. While the councillors in the area are zoning land for educational purposes in the Kildare-Newbridge municipal district, we do not have any sense from the Minister about the need for urgency that exists regarding the the primary and secondary school. While the councillors in the area are zoning land for educational purposes in Newbridge, we do not have any sense from the Minister about the need for urgency that is there for both the primary and secondary school. I would like a debate in the House, particularly in relation to the commuter belt areas. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-12-09/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:26+00:00 Sitting date: 2025-12-09