Sir, - The remarks of the new Transport Minister, Seamus Brennan, in a radio interview this week that he "didn't care who owned new public transport operations" is bad news for the taxpayers who are expected to foot the bill for these developments and the unfortunate passengers who will be using these proposed systems.
This abandonment of responsibility by the Minister, only days in office, shows that the cavalier attitude of the previous regime will be continued in this one. Presumably, Mr Brennan doesn't care either who owns the railway system of our neighbour and fellow EU member, Britain.
Are we to take it that he also doesn't care that the same careless attitude of the neighbouring regime has resulted in unmitigated disaster, needless death and destruction on an unprecedented scale? And is he proposing to ignore these events entirely as he sets about implementing policy on public transport in our own country?
As has been fatally demonstrated in Britain, it is of prime importance who owns public transport systems, what priorities are set for their safe operation and how these priorities are supervised and implemented. - Yours, etc.,
SEAMUS RATIGAN,
Dublin 8.