A chara, - The current furore about striking drivers and the resulting non-service on many lines throughout the Republic is only the latest stage in Iarnrod Eireann's descent into a national disgrace. The massive inconvenience experienced by commuters all over the country and the fact that people had to seek alternative forms of transport to get from Cork to Dublin, for example, needs to be put in the context of Iarnrod Eireann's constant failure to supply a satisfactory service.
As a regular commuter between Cork and Belfast I am well positioned to comment on the service provided. I would like to state firstly that I have never encountered any problem with the Belfast to Dublin leg of the journey which is, tellingly, a joint venture between Northern Ireland Railways and Iarnrod Eireann. However, between Dublin and Cork I have experienced poor facilities, poor service, rudeness from the staff, inadequate seating space and carriages that looked and felt like they belonged in the 1960s.
On one occasion I made my way to the dining carriage in the hope of finding a cup of coffee as the trolley service had not appeared. When I got there I was told in no uncertain terms by a member of staff that there was no chance of getting coffee or tea as they had run out of hot water. The arrogant and rude manner with which I was told this made a farcical situation all the worse.
I have also experienced the oft-mentioned overcrowding, due to lack of carriages being supplied for predictably busy routes, and poor toilet facilities (no flush, no tap water, broken hand-dryer, etc). The frequency with which incidents and situations like this arise points towards a deep malaise within the public service industry in this country. The service provided by Iarnrod Eireann exhibits all the characteristics of a monopoly which is poorly regulated and badly managed. It can only be hoped that this latest strike fiasco can provide some impetus toward overhauling this shoddy excuse for a public service. - Yours, etc.,
Paul Hickey, Blarney, Co Cork.