“STAFFLESS TRAIN STATIONS LEADING TO RISE IN CRIME” - Brendan Ryan TD

Brendan Ryan, Labour party spokesperson on Transport called on the Minister for Transport to re-staff train stations in order to tackle anti social behaviour

In the Dáil Ryan stated “At a recent public Joint Policing Committee meeting, it arose that Irish Rail will be employing a system in which stations are monitored remotely through CCTV cameras. If any situation arises, a person, who is sitting in front of a screen bank can call the Gardaí and also through a speaker system on the train platform, warn any vandals to cease their actions. If this is a strategic decision, Minister, to cut costs and keep staff out of train stations it is not acceptable. Quite simply it is no substitute for having a staffed station.

Ryan continued “Another aspect to this is the impact on coastal communities on rail lines at weekends. Young people are being ferried free of charge on trains to places like Donabate, Portmarnock, Malahide, Skerries, Balbriggan. They board the train without a ticket and know that they will not be checked at the coastal destination. In many cases they are travelling to cause vandalism and to commit crime against these communities. As a senior Garda said at the meeting “We cannot have local communities suffering as a result of cost cutting measures by a state-owned body”

Minister Ross responded indicating that Irish Rail are working on a scheme to be rolled out to improve the staff presence at stations.

Ryan “This is a major issue and has other impacts such as prohibiting people with disabilities from using our train service. We need staffed train stations. It is a must”