Labour called for a single transportation authority for the greater Dublin area, in the only divisive debate at the conference.
In what was also the worst-attended debate, trade union members dissented from the call for one authority, incorporating divisions of four Government departments.
An anti-single authority delegate said the party had to "make up its mind". It could not demand funding for CIE and also refuse a fares increase, said Mr Tony Tobin, a SIPTU delegate, and the motion calling for a single authority to provide an "attractive, properly funded and integrated public transport service" was badly thought out. He also criticised the party's finance spokesman, Mr Derek McDowell, over remarks the TD made about ending restrictive practices in public companies and said they were demarcations - rights unions had worked hard for.
Senator Brendan Ryan, who backed the motion, described transport as an "index of civilisation". The public was entitled to a safe, fast, efficient, inexpensive and reliable service. The Progressive Democrats liked to pretend it could be done in a private way but "it can't, won't and never will be" because the public good was never shown on the bottom line.
Mr Don Tipping (Clondal
kin, Dublin) who introduced the motion calling for the single authority, said affordable public transport, incorporating bus services, Luas and rapid rail was needed and they would not get it with this Government. He sharply criticised the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, over her handling of State bodies and CIE in particular.
She wanted an underground Luas and £114 million from EU funds for it - but with all the delay she had got neither. "We who live in the Tallaght area are thwarted by the idea of travelling eight miles to the city and taking one-and-a-half hours to get there," he said.
Another South Dublin delegate said a single authority was needed because the current authority "is so scattered. CIE is not achieving what could be achieved. We need an integration of services but you can't get a single ticket for both rail and bus." Mr Tony Dermody, of the main CIE managerial union, TSSA, said the motion was "cobbled together". It talked about managing CIE but "there is no mention of a role for CIE" or of how the authority would be funded. It was an "ill-thought out and ragged motion", he said.
Another delegate, Mr Tim Mulcahy, said rural Ireland had major transportation problems with no reliable service. Free travel was being expanded "to more and more people but there is no bus service to use. It is like being given a can of beans but no can opener." Mr Paul Sweeney (Harold's Cross, Dublin) said the only obstacle to a proper transport authority was "lack of political will".
There were four departments involved in transport, and this commitment, which would involve spending "buckets of money", would mean assigning one minister to deal with one issue.
He said four Government departments were involved in transport - Ms O'Rourke in Public Enterprise, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, on roads, "zero competence is in charge of gardai and clamping, and the Minister of the Marine for ports and shipping".
In a show of hands delegates voted by a majority to accept the motion for a single transport authority.