Mr. Billy Hann:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and members of the committee for the opportunity to appear before them today. I am joined by Ciarán Rogan, chief commercial officer, and Phil Donohue, director of HR and development. This is a welcome chance to set out an overview of Dublin Bus's current performance and the challenges we face. I am proud to represent the dedicated workforce of Dublin Bus which serves our city and communities every day.

Dublin has grown, our population is rising, our economy is strong and the expectations of our customers and stakeholders are rightly higher than ever. In that context, public transport is not a marginal issue; it is central to the functioning of the city, the economy and the everyday lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Every weekday, more than 500,000 people choose to travel with us to work, school, hospitals and beyond. Demand for our services is at the highest level ever and that demand continues to grow.

For example, our passenger numbers have increased by 5.2% when compared to the same period last year. By the end of 2025, we expect to have carried in the region of 165 million customers. This growth is encouraging but it is also exacting. It demands we adapt, improve and make choices about service levels, staffing, investment and how we meet the public need.

Let me turn first to our operational performance because the measure of any transport operator is not what it promises but what it delivers. I want to stress that Dublin Bus is not perfect, but the data independently verified shows our service performance today is the best it has ever been. Services are more reliable, more punctual and more consistent. That improvement has not happened by accident. It is the product of sustained investment in our people, our fleet and our services. It shows what happens when we all work together and fund public transport properly. As we approach the budget, we have a choice to maintain the progress of recent years or to allow it to stall. Continued investment will mean more reliable services, safer journeys and a better product for the public. Stepping back would risk undermining the very improvements people are now beginning to see every day.

The next area I want to touch on is safety. We carried 159 million customers last year. Our success depends not only on punctuality and reliability but on trust, and that trust begins with safety. Antisocial behaviour has risen across our city and subsequently onto the transport network. Our drivers are not security guards. That is why we launched a safer journeys team last year in partnership with the Department of Transport and the National Transport Authority. It is practical, visible and targeted and it is working. Our drivers report feeling more supported and customers feel more confident but safety on public transport must go further. Dublin Bus has consistently supported the creation of a dedicated public transport police. Its inclusion in the programme for Government means this is no longer a debate about concepts but now a question of priorities and urgencies. What is required now is a clear implementation plan. It is important to stress that this will not be a silver bullet. We must continue to examine how best to further augment the support given to us by An Garda Síochána, improve technological solutions, expand community support forums and educate our schoolchildren. There must be real consequences for people who threaten or commit violence against front-line workers. Without accountability, deterrence is weakened and the safety of drivers and customers alike is undermined. We have all seen the threats made against the Tánaiste and other public figures recently. The principle is the same; threats and violence cannot be normalised or ignored.

I want to finish by addressing value for money. There is sometimes a perception that a commercial semi-State operator like Dublin Bus must be bloated or inefficient, especially when compared to other private operators. The reality could not be further from the truth. Every euro we spend is taxpayers' money and we treat it with the same care and discipline as we would our own. Efficiency is not an afterthought in Dublin Bus; it is central to maintaining public trust and political support. That is why we benchmark ourselves globally. Through the International Bus Benchmarking Group, an independent global network of major operators, we measure our performance rigorously. Its findings are clear: our operating cost-per-vehicle-kilometre is below the international average and has been falling since 2020. Passenger kilometre costs confirm we deliver better value per-distance-travel than most of our public service obligation peers, but value cannot be measured in financial terms alone. The return on investment from Dublin Bus is broader and deeper. We reduce congestion, cut emissions, drive social inclusion and support economic growth across the city. These wider benefits multiply far beyond the balance sheet.

In closing, I acknowledge Dublin Bus is only ever as strong as the trust people place in it. That trust has been built over many years by the commitment of our employees and the support of the public. I want to end by thanking them. I thank the Cathaoirleach and Members for their time. I look forward to today's engagement.