Mr. Barry Kenny:

I thank the committee for the invitation. Iarnród Éireann’s vision for rail is to be the backbone of an integrated, sustainable, and accessible public transport network for Ireland. We are committed to continuous improvements in accessibility, with the overall, ultimate objective of universal access for our customers. In that context, we are committed to achieving the goals of the UNCRPD. Dr. Meredith Raley from the Disability Federation of Ireland has briefed senior members of the Iarnród Eireann team on the UNCRPD, including the reporting process, the consultation on the state report and the Disability Participation and Consultation Network.

We have a dedicated accessibility officer and we engage regularly with disabled persons' organisations and service providers through our disability user group and direct one-to-one meetings with each organisation. Our disability user group is independently chaired by Tony Ward, a disability rights activist who is visually impaired. The mission of the group is to be a key contributor to the transformation of all Iarnród Éireann services to be universally accessible to and inclusive of everybody. The focus of our work is to maximise the quality of service with the infrastructure and facilities we have now and to ensure that as our investment programme, funded by the National Transport Authority, is delivered, we are continuously delivering tangible improvements to improve accessibility.

We have a customer experience team which assists customers with disabilities on their journeys on all routes throughout Ireland. Our customer experience teams assist 45,000 customers with a disability every year, and we work to continue to enhance that assistance. Current initiatives to progress that include the development of an accessibility assistance app, a just a minute, JAM, card for those with hidden disabilities, which is done working with the NTA, the Irish dementia working group workshops to enhance service provision for customers with dementia, a sensory room for Heuston Station, and training for customer service officers in Irish Sign Language, with our first group completing this training shortly.

A major area of focus for our capital investment programme has been to improve existing lifts and to put in new lifts and footbridges at stations where previously there have been inaccessible platforms. On renewals, this programme, funded by the NTA, has seen more than 50 lifts benefit from upgrades since 2020, ranging from complete replacement to control panel and other system renewals. Additionally, most of our stations with lifts have the customer lift call system in operation. This system provides monitored access to lifts to prevent anti-social behaviour, which was a significant factor in the past in lift availability issues. To access the lift, the customer presses a help point located at each landing of the lift shaft. Our monitored centre, operational at all times when trains are running, immediately sees CCTV and can ensure access for anti-social behaviour is prevented. The results of lift investment and lift call installation continue to be positive, with a significant reduction in the lifts being out of service. We already have a direct report form for customers to provide feedback on lifts and escalators via the portal to contact us on our website. Following consultation with Voice of Vision Impaired and Vision Ireland, new signage is being rolled out to all lift call locations.

The new lift programme is a continuing programme which prioritises those stations where one platform may currently be inaccessible or where the means of access is significantly short of modern person with reduced mobility, PRM, standards. The latest NTA funding was approved at the start of 2024 for this programme. Recently completed investments now have new lifts open and operational at Dalkey, Gormanston and, just last month, Little Island. I provided the committee with a list of further stations that are in project. I will not read it out. We have a further 15 stations, though I will not go through them all, where preliminary design works are under way.

One of the most significant improvements under way is the new DART+ fleet. A total of 185 carriages are on order from Alstom Transport, one of the leading fleet manufacturers. Construction is under way at its plant in Katowice in Poland, with delivery beginning later this year, and the new trains entering service from late 2025. Ultimately, up to 750 carriages will be ordered over a ten-year period for the expanded DART+ network and beyond. It will be the largest, most sustainable, and most accessible fleet to date in the public transport network.

The disability user group was part of the design phase process to gather feedback for the interior and exterior designs, attending workshops hosted by Behaviour and Attitudes to gather feedback as well as two visits to view mock-ups of the new fleet in Inchicore. Accessibility is a key deliverable of this fleet and an objective of Iarnród Éireann and the NTA for the ongoing expansion of the railway as a major public transport provider. The key accessibility issue from a train interface perspective is the platform gap and platform height. Great effort went into the specification of the new DART+ trains to ensure accessibility is transformed on the DART system. The vehicle tenderers were incentivised to focus on the carriage floor height above platform, with proposals to address the platform gap as well as accessibility and features for mobility impaired customers.

Our disability user group, DUG, was involved in design phase of the station wayfinding project, with several consultation sessions at Killester station which was used as the pilot station due to its proximity to the Central Remedial Clinic and Irish Wheelchair Association. The programme of replacement of this signage has been completed at 114 stations, with a further 22 to be completed this year.

The DUG was involved in consultation on the quieter coach, which was launched on the Dublin to Cork route in 2022 with positive feedback, especially from those with a disability. We are in discussions with Translink about expanding this to the Dublin to Belfast route on the existing Enterprise fleet. We have also rolled out sensory packs for customers with additional sensory challenges. The disability user group advised on contents. I detailed those in the written statement. The packs are free to customers who look for them and have proven popular.

All customer-facing staff of the company are provided with accessibility training. A current procurement process is under way to provide training to all our 1,500 customer-facing front-line staff. Our vision is to offer best in class accessibility training to all those staff who interact daily with customers with a disability. UNCRPD briefing will be included in training specification.

Changing places facilities are designed to enhance the health, safety, comfort and dignity of people who may need extra support and additional equipment during personal care tasks, above and beyond the standard accessible toilets, with additional features and equipment that enhance accessibility. The Connolly changing places facility opened in May 2021, which is the first in the Dublin 1 north inner-city area, while Heuston changing places opened to the public in September 2022. The facility in Colbert Station in Limerick is opening imminently. Further installation is planned in Sligo and Athlone next year. As detailed, we are committed to continuous improvement in all aspects of what we do and we would be happy to take questions the committee may have.