Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I used public transport to get here this morning. I used a train and a bus. I am not sure if I will get the bus or train home. We went into Croke Park on Sunday and it was an amazing service into Drumcondra and coming back out again. A huge amount of work has been done on something like that. The bus gets people to school and I can see the way things have improved with the times. We have had huge improvements. The development of the greenway has been very positive as well in our area. The next phase of the Leixlip to Maynooth greenway is coming to completion. We have had some significant upgrades and improvements over time, not to mind the motorway infrastructure. I am not coming from a negative viewpoint at all but one of the overarching aspects of this is that there just seems to be that almost lack of information. That is something that always comes up with us as public representatives. It is like how do we know when is this or that or why can we not have such a thing? We talked about the bridge at Celbridge earlier but, for example, it is like when money gets put in from the urban regeneration and development fund perhaps in 2021 for something that was included in the local area plan in 2017. We are here four years later asking what is going on and where it is now. It might be stuck in the board or wherever but we do not seem to have those route maps along the way. If I was to come along with any overarching theme, this is it. It is interesting that everybody member had a lot of similar questions or topics in their different areas. There is a risk that we are being seen as parochial as politicians asking about projects in our individual areas but all we can do is speak to our own experiences in those areas because ultimately this is how we can affect them. We must look at these issues in an overarching way, which is what we do on this committee. I know I am not asking a question here but it is worth saying. By bringing up Leixlip, or my colleagues bringing up Oilgate and their individual areas, all we are doing is seeing where the blockages are, and I am actually seeing the trend in my own area.

I have a question for the NTA. On 16 June there will be a change in the bus fares in the broader Dublin area. Is the €2 base fare increasing to €2.40? Can I clarify that? Correct me if I am wrong. I also wish to clarify what the difference is between the Dublin city travel fare and the Dublin commuter bus travel fare? If the witnesses do not know, that is fine. I was looking at them and it was not self-evident to me. With regard to the zone map, will it be the same for the trains as for the bus? Those are my specific questions.