Mr. Tim Duggan:

It is not quite that simple. According to CIE, since 2007 there has been a 10% increase in the number of passengers from the free travel scheme. In the same period the increase of funding has been significantly in excess of 10%. I am not saying that the numbers is the only factor. In 2007 the payment to CIE was €52.5 million and according to CIE the number of passenger journeys was just over 36.5 million. In 2015, the payment to CIE was just over €61 million and the number of passenger journeys was just over 40 million. There has been a 10% increase in the number of passenger journeys but the amount of the payment was significantly in excess of 10%. It is not as simple as equating one with the other. There are also fare increases in that period of time to be taken into consideration.