Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Our engagement today is with the Minister for Transport to discuss all areas within his remit. As members know, this joint session will conclude at 11 a.m. and then we will go into a select committee meeting to discuss the Estimates from 11.15 a.m. until noon. Interventions today will be for five minutes for each session and I would appeal to members to adhere to those five minutes to allow for questions and answers.

On behalf of the committee, I am delighted to welcome the Minister to this morning's meeting. I thank the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and his officials for giving us their time this morning.

These are busy times for the committee. To give the Minister a flavour, we have done a lot of work around sustainable transport; engagement with the National Transport Authority, NTA, bus and rail operators, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, on greenways and active travel; and issues around compulsory purchase orders and lack of engagement with TII in the context of various projects around the country. We have had a recent engagement with taxi representative groups, although I will not go into any further detail on that. We have additional engagement around the working time of search and rescue, SAR, crews. We are currently in the middle of a series of meetings around road safety, as the Minister knows. To some extent, we have a crisis in the context of road safety. To date, we have engaged with vulnerable road users, representatives from cycling and motorcycle organisations, elderly road users, and heavy goods vehicle and bus representative groups. We are setting aside that work on road safety as we begin our pre-legislative scrutiny of the Dublin Airport (passenger capacity) Bill 2026. We are beginning with a briefing from the Minister's officials next week. That will be followed by, I think, three stakeholder meetings but we will try to deliver our report within the eight-week timeline.

Without any further delay, I have to read out the notes on privilege. Apologies. Witnesses are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of that person or entity. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative that they comply with any such direction.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against any person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I now invite the Minister to make his opening statement.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach as an gcuireadh teacht os comhair an choiste inniu. Gabhaim míle buíochas ach go háirithe le mo chomhghleacaithe as ucht a gcuid oibre sa choiste. I thank the Chair for the invitation to be with the committee today and I thank my colleagues in the committee for the work they have already undertaken in what is a very busy brief. I look forward to the interactions this morning both on the overall work programme with regard to the Department and then later on today with regard to the Estimates. I genuinely thank the committee for the opportunity to be before it and to brief members on the work we are doing.

I would like to introduce my colleagues. They are Mr. Garret Doocey, assistant secretary for land transport investment and public transport policy; Ms Ethna Brogan, assistant secretary for aviation and emergency planning; Dr. Keith Walsh, who is to my left, assistant secretary for road transport services; and Mr. Eoin Keehan, who is in the corporate services side of the Department. Other colleagues are here to support us and give us answers if we do not have them but I am confident we will.

The advance brief members have already received outlines the overview of the Department as well as some of the current priority matters within the transport sector, some of which the Chair has alluded to already. Transport is an enabler of much of the interconnected activity that supports our society and economy. However, it also comes with a broad range of challenges. During 2025, my Department and I have worked hard on our shared mission, which is to deliver an accessible, efficient, safe and sustainable transport system that supports communities, households and businesses, all while meeting those challenges head on. We are guided in that mission through key documents such as the programme for Government and our new departmental strategy for 2025 to 2028, while working closely with partner organisations at the national and international levels. These commitments sit across all sectors of transport and are tailored to the unique needs of a diverse cross-section of transport users, whether they are individuals, communities or commercial operators, or those with special needs and disabilities as well. I want to take the opportunity to thank all of the stakeholders who feed into our policy and also policy implementation, giving us their lived experience that drives us to do more.

On the land transport side, the national development plan, NDP, sectoral investment plan for transport outlines the pathway for future investment in Ireland’s transport infrastructure between now and 2030. One highlight of this, of course, is MetroLink, which is already seeing really good progress through the issuance of a railway order by An Coimisiún Pleanála in October and the recent publication of preliminary design-and-build contract and procurement activities. This is a very significant project and step forward. It is the first time that MetroLink has been funded under an NDP. We have a clean planning permission and the procurement process has effectively started. There is a lot of interest in it.

As well as MetroLink, this area of investment in the Department includes working towards delivery of DART+, regional city rail improvements, BusConnects in all of our cities and ongoing investment in national rail through the progression of projects arising from the all-island strategic rail review.

It also encompasses active travel investment, the expansion and upgrading of our road network and generally investing in the infrastructure on which both our current and future transport networks rely upon.

In aviation, in 2025 and into 2026, the key priority is to address the challenge of the passenger cap at Dublin Airport. Legislation is currently being drafted to address this important matter. I thank the committee in advance of the work it will do in relation to pre-legislative scrutiny and also welcome its remarks with regard to its plans to deal efficiently with that pre-legislative scrutiny. It is an urgent and priority piece of legislation. It is a commitment in the programme for Government. Dublin Airport is a critical piece of national infrastructure from a connectivity perspective. We need to get that legislation through as quickly as possible. The committee’s assistance, co-operation and input are greatly valued and appreciated. Elsewhere, we are progressing work on the regional airports programme - I brought that to Cabinet just yesterday - and supporting them in seeking investment and growth. We made some significant changes to ensure all of our regional airports will be able to access funding through that €45 million programme.

An area which has seen some of the most significant movement in the past year is the Coast Guard. 2025 and early 2026 saw the move to our new aviation contract which was completed with the standing up of the final helicopter base and the roll-out of fixed-wing support as well as ongoing progress on the Coast Guard transformation programme which is delivering strategic, structural, governance and other key reforms across the entire organisation.

In the maritime sector, our ports are taking on a whole new role as facilitators of offshore renewable energy in addition to being vital international freight and passenger gateways which are so important to our open and internationally connected island economy. Safety is a key priority, with the project to replace the Irish Lights ship theILV Granuaileunder way. Further measures to enhance safety include my signing of the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Act 2025 which created the marine accident investigation unit within my Department. It also provides for better regulation of offshore vessels and investigation and reporting of marine accidents.

In relation to sustainability, the key focus is meeting our binding legal commitments with regard to emissions through the climate action plan. The overall strategy remains to follow the avoid, shift, improve model, where we champion and enable active and sustainable travel, incentivise the use of public transport where possible and reduce the overall harm of fossil fuel use by replacing them with suitable alternative and cleaner technologies. Last year, we saw record passenger numbers - 363.6 million passenger journeys through 2025, an increase of 6% on 2024 levels. That is a significant move forward with the public responding where we provide the services and an efficient, reliable and affordable public transport system. Yes, more work needs to be done in that space. The national development plan will guide us in relation to the roll-out of additional infrastructure and the roll-out and improvement of existing routes. We have seen the expansion of Local Link rural public transport services by 12 routes with a further 19 being enhanced, bringing it up to a total of 185 new and enhanced services under the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan. It also included passing the 200 mark for electric buses in Dublin, Athlone and Limerick along with a total order now placed for 285 electric and battery electric trains and the expansion of infrastructure and supports for drivers looking to purchase electric vehicles including taxis, trucks, vans and motorcycles.

In road transport services, which the Chair alluded to in his opening remarks, the number of fatalities on our roads in the past few years is of deep concern to me and to all of us. In 2025 we published the phase 2 action plan for the road safety strategy 2021-2030 which focuses on the delivery of 12 primary actions including safer default speed limits, rolling out additional safety technology and improved data sharing on safety matters. Unfortunately we have already seen 22 fatalities on Irish roads this year. Every fatality is an absolute tragedy and is one too many. All of us need to work together. I have a responsibility as does the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, in that regard, to do what we can from a legislative perspective. There was also only recently the terrible tragedy of Grace Lynch’s death after being hit by a scrambler. I met her parents and we are advancing the scrambler regulations to bring about a full ban on that. I hope to have those regulations before St. Patrick’s Day.

Finally, as members will see in the advance briefing, reflecting the key role technology and data play not only in safety on the roads but in the administration of all transport matters, the Department has appointed a chief information officer who now sits on the management board and oversees our digital hub and acts as the Department’s ICT leader.

I thank the committee for the opportunity to address members. I happy to take any questions members may have.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his opening statement. I am conscious of time so I will go straight to questions.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Does the Minister have confidence in the Road Safety Authority? I ask this in light of another weekend where we have had a range of tragedies on our roads. The Minister alluded to 22 people already dead this year. We have been holding hearings on road safety. One remarkable point of agreement among all the organisations that have come before us from motorcyclists to pedestrians and the Irish Road Haulage Association is all of them believe the RSA is not fit for purpose any more. The previous Government the Minister and I were part of recognised that. A reform package was agreed in October 2024 to separate out the operational side - the driver test, theory test and let those be done separately - and let the RSA focus on the road safety mandate. In December, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, scrapped that. He did not come forward with any clear alternatives and just said they were not going forward with that particular plan. When there is so much agreement that people do not have confidence in the RSA, does the Minister have confidence in it?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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As an organisation, I have confidence in the RSA. Significant change is under way but significant further change and reform are required. We have embarked on that programme. A lot of the focus has been on the structural reform or splitting up of the agency. My focus and that of the Minister of State is on supporting the agency to ensure it delivers betters results and to focus on the work it has at hand. In that area, we have a new chairperson of the board. There will be a further four or five, initially four, new board members in the coming weeks and months which will bring extensive, badly needed experience to it. We need a change in focus within the Road Safety Authority and from the leadership of that organisation. The decision Deputy Canney and I made was that we want it to focus on its priority areas. It has a really important role in that regard. If we were to embark on splitting up that agency right now when we have a serious issue with regard to road fatalities that might-----

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Can I ask about the focus point? It has a focus - road safety - but also a huge range of operational issues. It is important stuff and includes the NCT; all of us get regular complaints about that. Those are two entirely different areas. The Indecon report that led to the proposed restructuring the Government has now cancelled stated:

It is important to recognise that a small, non-commercial State agency such as RSA, having a very wide range of responsibilities but limited powers and constrained resources, cannot on its own deliver the Road Safety Strategy.

The Minister is talking about changing its focus. When it has two entirely different jobs, which one is it prioritising? Is it prioritising road safety or the operational side?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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There is a lot of synergy between both. Driver testing is a safety issue as well to make sure people are competent to drive on our roads. The NCT relates to the standard of vehicles.

That is an important aspect of road safety too. I see them as complementary. I think the Road Safety Authority needs to do a better job and we are supporting it to do a better job. It needs to perform in a more efficient and better way.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Is it just a question of personnel? The Minister has spoken about a lot of changes at the board. Was the problem with personnel on the board?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I just used the example of driver testing times, which went from an average of 27.3 weeks, which was off the charts, in April 2025, to 10.6 weeks in December. It shows what is possible when there is proper organisation of work and a proper focus on priorities.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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We are talking about driver testing times, which is really important in an organisation that is trying to save lives on our roads, when 190 people died last year. I have a concern about the focus issue, that it is doing two very important but very different things, which has been identified as a problem.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I will address this in the time we have and will come back in. There are about 400 people in the RSA. We have ring-fenced €18 million in this budget specifically for public interest work in education, awareness and campaigns, both for last year and for this year. That can and should happen too. There is complementarity between both of those issues, driver safety, driver competence, the safety of vehicles on our road, and also the road safety focus. We look at legislative changes that may be required too support that work. Breaking up the agency right now would have taken a focus off the important work that is being done.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister for his time. It is clear that the RSA is not fit for purpose in its current form. Last year, the Minister backtracked on the recommended reforms in the Indecon report. Why has he ignored the specific recommendations from that report?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I think I have answered some of that but I will answer it again. I want the focus to be on the tasks that they have at hand and what their responsibilities are. The operational structure within the RSA should be secondary to the work that it does. It is a well resourced organisation with more than 400 people working in it. It needs to be organised in a better way and to point itself towards the priority areas of work. That is what the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and I are supporting it in doing. Actually, the Minister of State-----

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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What specific reforms is the Minister looking at in that area?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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In the area of road safety, we have already reduced speed limits across the country, with a default speed limit of 30 km/h. We are looking at further penalties with regard to infringements and driver behaviour. My focus, though, is on their core areas of work. That is what it should be. The focus that some have on a structural reform, which I am not dismissing, or splitting up the agency, takes away from the core responsibilities that it has. I have to decide with the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, whether we spend the next year or two years trying to structurally reform that agency and split it up, or if we actually support it in doing its work and improving the work that is being done. Further, I had a concern, in that I believe the RSA should be reporting directly to the Department and the Ministers. If we set up a separate agency that does not report directly, we will not get the direction that is required.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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I want to move on because my time is limited. In the Revised Estimates, which will be discussed, the Minister is planning a €400,000 decrease in road safety funding compared with 2025. What is the rationale for that?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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We have provided the resources that have been requested. We have flexibility within our Vote and should we need to deploy additional resources in any area, we will do so.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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Does the Minister know why less resources are being requested in that area, especially in the context of quite a lot of fatalities on the road and so on?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Any financial resources that are required for the RSA to run campaigns which have been requested have been given. That money has been ring-fenced. Its income comes from its fees, too, which is important to note. The priority area on the road side is road safety. As I mentioned in my opening remarks, every death is a death too many. The Government and drivers have a responsibility there too. There is personal responsibility as well. We need to ensure that the measures that have been brought in by the Government are implemented. We need additional enforcement in that space. We need to ensure that driver education happens and that awareness of road safety is prominent right across our country. That is why we are providing the resources that have been requested in that area.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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I move on to the topic of greenways. In November, this committee held a meeting focused on greenway developments. During that meeting, TII confirmed that a review of the code of best practice for greenways would be undertaken in the first quarter of this year. As far as I am aware, no confirmed date has been set for that review and there has not been any engagement around it. Does the Minister know when that review will take place?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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It is underway. I have met TII and the NTA about this. I think much of this is focused on compulsory purchase orders and the manner in which they go about that work.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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Did CPOs form part of the review?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Yes. Public engagement is critical too because the vast majority of people are positive towards greenways and active travel. We are going to invest about €365 million every year in this Government. I am a big supporter of active travel but there are examples, which the committee would have heard, where residents feel that the engagement at an early stage has not been as it should be in some instances. There have been many successes in our greenway and active travel programme. I point the Deputy towards the safer routes to school programme in particular. There was much resistance at the start across the country. Now over 400 schools are participating.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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My final question is on engagement. I have constituents who are landowners on the route of the Galway to Athlone greenway. They are not being allowed to participate in this review, which is quite a big concern for them. They are the landowners. They are arguably the most important stakeholder in all of this but they are not represented in the review process. Can the Minister rectify that?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to get the details of that, because any landowners or people in a community where a greenway plan is in place are absolutely entitled to be part of the review. I do not know the specifics relating to that and why some landowners are not part of it, if that is indeed the case. If the Deputy gives me the details, we will certainly look at it. All interested parties are involved in the public consultation. What I have said here is that I think work needs to be done on improving that consultation at an early stage and focusing in a narrow way on where the routes will be. In some instances, we have had issues whereby a broader range of people have been brought into a process where they would not be directly impacted. Greenways and active travel are a positive thing. The public are positively disposed to them. We do not want to lose that either. I take the point clearly and have said to my agencies that there need to be improvements in those areas. We have a good team in my Department for active travel and we will continue to work with it on it.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I will concentrate on balanced and rural development. The Minister's policy, avoid, shift, and improve, is great. It is trying to get people out of their cars. In a rural constituency like mine, public transport has to be available to ensure that people get out of their cars and improve and change their behaviour.

I will bring up the catering cart again. I know people consider it trivial but it is not. It is an experience of people like me living in the west of Ireland, in the north west, and in other areas throughout the country. We want to have the best experience for passengers on public transport. We are not looking for the Trans-Siberian Railway or the Orient Express. We just want a basic service. I would love to find out the justification for why they can be returned on some routes and why they cannot be returned on others. I am not talking about whether it is busier but the number of people who use it and the length and time of the route.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the point that we have discussed this before, both formally and informally. There are two things. If you look at the investment that is happening in our major train stations across the country, the facilities are much better and will continue to improve, both from a retrofitting perspective for accessibility, but also for the facilities and offerings that are there, particularly in our intercity train stations. Our focus is on using the resources that we have to invest in the transport services. That is the first priority. It is about what improvements we can make to services and what additional services we can bring in place. We are bringing in a significant number of new trains, which I am sure we will get to too, which are being tested right now. I have listened and it has been raised that we are looking at that, but there is a significant cost to it to.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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The NTA said it would like to see it returned, as did Irish Rail.

It is not like we are getting the stuff for free. What people buy on the rail service is quite expensive. How can €2 million a year be justified?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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That figure surprises me too, to be frank. It is a significant figure. The amount is equivalent to the cost of a new town bus service, so do we provide a new town bus service or a catering cart?

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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How is it so expensive though? Has that been looked at?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Senator has received those answers from Iarnród Éireann directly. We have asked it to look at alternatives, cheaper ones if possible, but my focus has to be growing the public transport service we have. That is the focus of all the members here and Deputies when I am taking questions in the Dáil and it has to be my priority right now.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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I understand that. I see it as providing a public service rather than as a profit-making service.

The number of people using the train service in Sligo has gone up significantly. A study this week showed it has increased by 7.3% in one year. I get contacted all the time about the service. I say it is a public service because people travel to hospital appointments and to different colleges we do not have provision for in our towns. That is my rationale for doing so. This applies to stations throughout the country, including in Galway and Mayo, not just to Sligo. It is frustrating when we hear the NTA or Irish Rail say the Department is not giving them the money. We have done evidence-based research to show there is a need for an early morning commuter train from Longford to Sligo. I met senior officials from Irish Rail and they were really positive about it. They said the infrastructure, the trains and even the staff were available, but there seems to be a delay in making that happen. That could alleviate the housing crisis in Sligo around student accommodation. It also leads into the avoid, shift, improve policy. Is there any move to have that provided in 2026?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The previous Government embarked on a programme to improve the rolling stock we have. We have 185 new carriages. The order has been purchased and amounts to about €500 million in investment. Once the first trains are deployed on the northern line, on the service from Dundalk to Dublin, we will have additional stock we will be able to move across the country. That will provide opportunities for us to provide additional services. In some areas there are signalling issues as well. I think the particular early morning service the Senator raised can be done. The rolling stock is the issue and it will be addressed. We are looking at quarter 2 of 2027 for the first new trains to be deployed on the northern line. They are being tested right now. The months and years after that will be an opportunity to redeploy rolling stock to other lines.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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It is great to have the Minister at the committee. An issue raised with me by young people, in light of so many fatalities on roads and a move towards encouraging third level students to commute to college because of the cost of fees, is whether any consideration can be given to free fares for third level students commuting on public transport.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for the question. The first thing to recognise is that students get a 50% reduction on their fares, as matters stand. We have to have a fare structure that supports the services we have. Fortunately, we have seen significant increases in public transport use over the last two years, but as we add new routes and improve services on existing routes, that has to paid for, as the Senator knows. If we take the PSO, which underpins a lot of our public transport services, we were able to secure a very significant increase in that, by 46%, in last year's budget. That was simply increasing the base, though, and we still have to manage the services we have within the current expenditure envelope we have. I want to keep fares affordable and accessible, especially for students who have discounted fares. We also have free fares for many cohorts and there is the companion pass as well now, and I want to protect those too. I want to ensure the public transport fare structure is affordable but also sustainable and that it supports the need to further expand our services across the country and to provide students and others with more services, where we can.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for that answer. On rail travel specifically, Senator Cosgrove mentioned onboard catering. Does the Minister envisage that service returning on the likes of the Mayo and Sligo lines in the next year? Is it something he supports?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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As I said to Senator Cosgrove, the issue is the choices we have to make. If we take some of the estimations in relation to the reinstatement or the bringing forward of those services, the cost is very significant. I would rather invest those moneys in services.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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I am sorry to interrupt but if we use that logic, should we then cut the catering on the Dublin-Cork line and add additional services on the Mayo-Dublin line?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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What we have to do is manage the demands within the transport sector, and that is what I am doing. The Senator has asked me directly if I can give him a commitment this year that catering services will be brought back on those lines. No, I cannot.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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Would the Minister like to see it brought back?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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My priority is more services and if I have a choice between that and catering, it will be improved services above catering. I do not think I can be any clearer than that. I said this already to Senator Cosgrove, but if we look at the investment that has gone into our train stations and the facilities in them, which we will continue to invest in, we see there is a much better offering to the travelling public now than there was even ten years ago.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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I accept that. The promised investment in the western rail corridor was really welcome. When does the Minister hope the first phase of that will open? On the success of phase 1, some of the reports indicated it was not going to be feasible and then more reports were done to say it is feasible. What does success look like for the first phase to justify the onwards connection to Sligo and then along the whole western seaboard?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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What is really important is the commitment the Government has made to the corridor. To answer the question, we will have construction starting in 2028. That is a success. The all-island strategic rail review is our guide to how we can expand and reinstate our rail network. There is an obvious demand in the west as well. We are looking at construction beginning in 2028, with preliminary works maybe somewhat before that.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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That is great.

My home town of Ballina is choked with traffic. The last significant investment we had in our area of north Mayo was in the 19th century when the two bridges across the River Moy were built at the cathedral. Nothing was built in the 20th century and we are a quarter of a way through the 21st century. An eastern bypass over the River Moy is desperately needed. I note Ballina in Tipperary received €88 million in funding to connect to Killaloe. That is a great project but the populations being connected there amounted to fewer than 4,000 people. The population of Ballina town is 11,000, with a hinterland of over 35,000 people, and it is chronically choked with traffic. Will the Minster commit to reviewing that and-----

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Very quickly, the time is up.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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We can come back in. I thank the Senator. Funding under the NDP is being provided for bypasses and relief roads across the country, including Ballina. It is a long-term project that has been signalled in the NDP. The NDP is allocating funding towards the project.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister. It was remiss of me not to note the apologies of Senator Goldsboro in my opening remarks.

Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Gabhaim buíochas leis as ucht a theacht isteach. Tá brón orm go raibh moill orm. It is important to note there has been massive growth in the number of people using public transport. That is due to the large investment that has been made. I very much welcome the commitment that is being rolled out. I thank the Minister for his engagement on the projects that are important to people in my constituency, such as DART+ South West and light rail generally. Will he give us an update on where DART+ South West is at?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for his remarks and support. The DART+ programme is critically important for this Government and we want to see it rolled out and delivered. That is no less the case with DART+ South West and DART+ West. We have commenced the CPO process for DART+ South West.

That is very significant in itself. The DART+ West and DART+ South West projects have a reliance on each other, particularly in relation to the depot. We are absolutely committed to the project. When the NDP review was done I said that where we can bring projects forward and commence them sooner, we will do that. I can absolutely assure the Deputy that for a growth area like his area, it is a critically important project. We have commenced that work and we will be looking at how we can accelerate procurement and do joint procurement across both the DART+ West and DART+ South West projects. They are ahead of other projects like DART+ Coastal North. We see all of them in relation to how those lines will enter the city and where they will end in the city. The work within the city is important with regard to the upgrade of the Docklands Station and the diversion of rail to that station. We have commenced the compulsory purchase orders, CPOs, and we will ensure that the procurement is complementary between both of DART+ West and DART+ South West. It is in the NDP and we are committed to doing it.

Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the Minister's support, as the review points out, to bringing that forward if he can. The Minister will be aware that 9,000 homes are up for zoning as part of the variation of the county development plan in south Dublin. The council has recommended that these will not be permitted until the construction on DART+ South West proceeds. The link between transport and housing is very apparent.

In the interim, for areas like Clonburris and Adamstown that are growing rapidly, it is important that we mandate the NTA to design new routes for those areas as opposed to putting them on routes that are already under pressure. For example, in Clonburris there is only an orbital route and a local route that goes through the houses of Clonburris, and there is no direct city centre route. That is the sort of mandate I would appreciate the NTA be given to investigate that.

With regard to the transport security force, I very much welcome the commitment the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Deputy O'Callaghan, have shown to this. They have prioritised the legislation coming onstream very quickly. Will the Minister speak a little bit about the operating model of the transport security force? My impression, and the Minister can correct me if I am wrong, is that this will be a centrally directed force, similar to the airport police and customs police, and that it would be responsible for providing a holistic view to all the public transport services along the lines of the British Transport Police. Is that the Minister's understanding as well?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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We have done a lot of work on this and we had a meeting just two weeks ago about it. The Department and the Department of justice are aligned. It will not be another An Garda Síochána. It will be very much modelled on the airport police. There are other considerations that we also need to look at. The airport police are designated around a specific campus and a specific area. Pursuit, detention and legal powers will be looked at for authorised officers. It would be centrally managed under the NTA. I intend that the transport security force will have powers of arrest and pursuit. Its members will work closely with An Garda Síochána because there is only one police force in the Republic. We will be fully consistent with the commitment in the programme for Government. Significant legislative work is required on this and I believe this committee and the justice committee will be heavily involved in that. There are existing by-laws that will need to be consolidated too. I hate using the word "complex" because it seems like it is a reason not to do it tomorrow, but it is complex. A lot of work has been done within the Department with me and our team. We have to land on the exact model but it will be centrally controlled through the NTA. I have met with the different transport operators to get their input on what they see would working well. As we are doing this, all of our transport operators are continuing to invest in their own private security and in increasing private security. An Garda Síochána, through Operation Saul, is continuing to do the work it needs to do to stamp out antisocial behaviour on our public transport network.

Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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Senator Duffy referred to the increase in road fatalities. Later on, I would like to pick up on this with regard to the role of technology in complementing the enforcement powers of An Garda Síochána in dealing with safety issues. I will come back to that later.

Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister and his officials for being here. It is nice to see them again. I thank the Minister for his engagement yesterday in the Seanad on wind energy. It will not be the last the Minister will hear of me on that issue. I will be back and forth with him on it a few times but I will put that aside today. There is so much I want to talk about on road safety and, so I will fling a couple of questions at the Minister.

Shannon Airport has capacity for 2.5 million more passengers. It would be amazing to see some investment in the airport. I know investment is going into it at the moment but we could see more airlines coming on board. I know that is a corporate decision and the Minister cannot force them into Shannon Airport but it would be nice to see more investment in the Shannon region. We are consistently losing businesses and jobs in the region. It would be nice to have that capacity built up so we can show companies that there are those links.

When it comes to rural roads, our budgets usually go in the right direction and we get an increase. I have not had a proper chance to look but I do not think there is much of a difference between last year and this year in Limerick. The minute drivers leave a national road, such as the N21 or the N69, and hit a rural road, they encounter potholes and verges dipping at the sides. There is a cost to families when this happens, especially since we have not had a day without rain in 2026 in Limerick. It is fairly bleak to look out every day and see rain but these potholes are filling with water and we do not see them until it is too late. I know exactly what that feels like. I have had my rims welded four times since January. There is a cost to it, not only to have the repair done but in trying to get the car to the other side of Limerick, as there is only one place that seems to do this. I have spent my time over and back getting the rims welded. Between welding the wheels and changing the tyres, it is costing an absolute fortune. I have had so many calls from people about the state of the roads. It would be nice to see more investment in rural roads. I think the statistics show that 85% of fatalities happen on rural roads. It is not just down to speed. It can be somebody avoiding a pothole or avoiding an overgrown hedge, crossing too far on the other side and ending up in an accident.

I know the Minister probably cannot control how funding is split but Limerick City and County Council covers the city and county. For active travel this year, the council gave 87% of the funding to the city and 13% to the county. The land mass in the county is much bigger than the city and the population is the exact same. It does not make sense to me that so much more would go to the city and so little to the county. We have a fantastic greenway in Limerick county. There is not a huge amount more to be done to the existing greenway but it would be nice to see a greater emphasis on active travel in the county instead of pumping all the money into the city. The Minister probably cannot dictate to each council what way it splits its funding. I will leave it at that.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Shannon Airport is a very important airport for this country. I was in the airport just before Christmas when we opened the five new gates there. The airport is investing in its facilities. It has the longest runway in the country, as the Senator will know. Passenger numbers are growing. In the last full year, that number was about 2.3 million, so it is going very much in the right direction. I have met with the board and the executive team there. I am encouraging them to secure new routes, which they are doing. I think the airport now has over 40 routes, which is the highest number it has had since the mid-1990s, if I am correct. It is definitely going in the right direction.

Capacity at the airport in relation to air travel and the runways is about 10 million, so we have good headroom for growth. We need to invest in the physical facilities, such as stands, and that is happening. One change I have made, which just got approval at Cabinet yesterday, is that following the changes in the €45 million regional airports support programme, Shannon Airport will now be able to apply for that funding because I have lifted the passenger numbers. That is for both the OPEX scheme and the CAPEX scheme. That will assist the airport in being able to get capital funding from the Government.

Shannon Airport is a fantastic facility that we need to use more. I am very supportive of the airport and its plans to grow. There are operators that are interested in additional routes into Shannon Airport.

On the roads question, there has been a 6% increase in roads funding. Local authorities are the authority for rural and regional roads in their areas. We provided significant funding along with discretionary funding to deal with adverse weather.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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The Minister's time is up.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I will just conclude on this very quickly. We are working with local authorities post the recent weather events because there has been significant damage done. They will make submissions to us, we will assess those submissions and we will do our best to assist further with financial support.

Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I thank the Minister for attending. I will probably make a few statements and ask a few questions at the end as there are quite a few issues. I would appreciate if the Minister reverted to me later if he does not have an answer now. On roads funding, I note that Innishannon in west Cork got €100,000 for a long-awaited report. On the north-south relief road, there is nothing on the northern route but in Bandon there is more money for more reports.

I will leave my question until later because I am trying to watch my time. The basic question my brother asked when one of these consultations was being done was whether he would ever see a bucket in the ground. He could not get an answer, and that is the worry. I will come back to that in a minute.

I was beginning to think Senator Collins was talking about my constituency when she was talking about potholes. Vegetation growing out on the road is appalling, as I have said before. It is the cause of major accidents and everything else. We have pointed the finger, but not about that. Have the councils done proper research? I appreciate the Minister might need to research this as it is not a question he can really answer. We see the lorry coming out in pouring rain and the workers slashing a bit of tar. These are good lads doing their best. The next morning, the hole is back, open again in the rain. ECI JCB has put forward proposals. The JCB company in question is called JCB Pothole Pro and it operates throughout Europe. It has gone to local authorities. These pothole repairs are costing millions of euro, and there are still holes in the road. In my constituency, it is a holy terror it is so bad. Most of the time people drive on the other side of the road. This company has gone to the local authorities and nobody seems to want to take it on. Europe is taking these people on. It is even offering to give a purpose-built machine with an operator initially to show them. A full day's work takes two hours. The machine squares the hole and then cuts, crops and cleans the pothole before pouring the tar. I ask the Minister to look into that because it could be a winner. What is going on at the moment is farcical. It is a costly farce.

On rural buses, the Minister mentioned the budget. Where they are working, they are working brilliantly, to be honest. I will not discredit a service that is going well. However, there have been services tendered to communities. It is like putting a cart before a horse. The horse will jump when it sees the cart. They are now told there is no money there. Why were they tendered in the first place? A service was promised last year to places like Dunmanway, Ballineen, Clonakilty, Grange, Courtmacsherry and Timoleague. Nothing has happened. Tenders went out and they came back in but there is still nothing happening.

I spoke to Councillor Chris Maxwell in Mayo yesterday, and he is looking to reinstate the route from Louisburgh to Killeen, which operated prior to Covid. It no longer operates but it should be, along with extra services on an existing route from Westport to Louisburgh. I am trying to run through as many questions as possible, and then we will see if we can get as many answers.

As for bus time schedules, we all want better bus services, and there are a lot of good bus services out there, if we are honest. However, the bottom line is the NTA looks after Bus Éireann and rural transport. It is now taking down post posters and putting up others that give a full schedule of Bus Éireann and local transport services. There was a meeting with the Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland, CTTC, earlier this week about this. The private operators serving the same routes and are approved by the NTA have been omitted. Why would the NTA favour Government-funded services and not look after the private services? They should put up all the schedules. That is all I am saying. I am not saying they should not put up one or another. Where private operators were using NTA poles, it took down its posters. That is not good enough.

On the greenways-----

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy has one minute.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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Greenways are a very serious issue in my constituency. Regarding waiting lists, when will the review of the code of practice for national and regional greenways begin? The Minister said it has begun. When will it be finalised? Will the review look at the mental health effects on landowners and local residents, including stress and anxiety caused by uncertainty, long delays and poor consultation? Does the Minister believe it is appropriate to use CPOs for leisure projects such as greenways? What are the mental health impacts on landowners whose property may be compulsorily acquired for non-essential infrastructure? Has that been properly considered and addressed?

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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The Minister has to answer all of that in 20 seconds.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I will come back to the Deputy. In relation to new methods, the Deputy mentioned remediation works. We are always open to that. We have local authorities, Monaghan County Council in particular, which could look at different methods of re-screeding roads and so on. We are certainly open to that if the Deputy gives us the details. I thank the Minister for raising the bus timetable issue. We will raise that.

As for the greenway review and how we go about that, I am very positive on greenways and active travel. We made a commitment to continue to invest in them. There have been issues in certain areas with regard to engagement, as I indicated to Deputy O'Hara. The review has commenced and will be completed this year. Part of that will involve looking at CPOs and how we engage with those type of things. Most people are still very positive towards greenways and active travel.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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The Minister is very welcome. In respect of Balbriggan, a town the Minister knows very well, the Naul Road and junctions 5 and 6 are badly in need of an upgrade. The town has expanded by more than 200% in 30 years. There is the Fingal County Council Stephenstown industrial site and, as the Minister obviously knows, there is a huge amount of housing planned for Balbriggan. We badly need junctions 5 and 6 and the Naul Road upgraded, yet we are making no progress. Can the Minister shed any light on that for me?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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This matter has been raised with me previously. The Naul Road, which I know very well, is off the main M1. As such, it is the responsibility of the local authority. Having said that, it is a very busy road. Coming off the motorway there is a good slipway onto it, and then it narrows down at Stephenstown. I have not had any formal contact from Fingal County Council in relation to it. The council is the roads authority for that area. It is a well-resourced local authority that does a lot of good work. As I should have said at the start of the meeting, I thank all the local authorities for the work they do and have done, particularly after the recent storm events. However, there is no funding that we would deploy for the Naul Road upgrades because that sits outside of my remit. That remit remains with the four Dublin local authorities. Fingal County Council is carrying out significant works in other areas. I understand the point on that, but I have not had any formal communication from Fingal County Council about it.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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What about junctions 5 and 6?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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What is the issue with junctions 5 and 6?

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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They are too narrow. Infrastructure is needed coming off those junctions given the housing and industrial development there is supposed to be at the Stephenstown site.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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In relation to junctions 5 and 6 on the M1, they obviously sit within our agencies, and that is something we can raise with them. I am not aware, but I will check this out, whether there is a formal plan to amend those junctions. I do not know but I will find out for the Deputy.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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I would appreciate that. Obviously, Balbriggan Chamber of Commerce is very focused on it and has been trying to engage with Fingal County Council. It is looking for support from me and the Minister, so I would appreciate him working with me on it.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I will speak to TII. I do not wish to keep the discussion local and Fingal-based but I know those junctions. The M1 is a heavily used road. The Fingal area, like many others, thankfully, is growing substantially, particularly the north Fingal area and Balbriggan. Road networks are important. The Naul Road is within the remit of the roads authority, which is Fingal County Council. Junctions 5 and 6 are in TII's remit, so I will speak to it.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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I will pick that up with the Minister.

In terms of the rail strategy, there is a huge amount of housing development along the northern commuter line. Fingal's population has increased by 20% in 20 years. We are building more and more houses in Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Lusk, but the rail carriages that have been ordered are to replace the existing rail carriages. While there will be some additional capacity on the train sets, once deployed and obviously they are not going to be deployed until 2027, there has been no increase in the service and there is no proposed increase in the service. Where is the rail strategy?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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That is not strictly correct.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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I am talking about the northern commuter line.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I know the northern commuter line very well. Regarding the carriages which are purchased and being tested right now, we have 185 carriages. That €500 million investment will increase physical capacity and improve accessibility as well. There will be no need for ramps or anything like that. It will deliver more physical capacity on the trains. DART+ Coastal North is the physical infrastructure that will enable more trains to run at a more frequent level on the line.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate that but the NTA is telling me it has no money to put increased services on the northern commuter line.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The issue with the northern commuter line is actually the physical capacity of the rail line itself. Anyone who takes that train, as I know the Deputy does, will know that the issue with the train is coming into Connolly Station in particular. Four-tracking work has been done at certain stations and needs to be done in others. DART+ Coastal North is, as I mentioned to Deputy Moynihan earlier, connected with DART+ South West and DART+ West. We need upgrade the Docklands Station for other trains to basically come out of Connolly Station and into Docklands Station and free up further services and capacity on the northern line.

The new trains that are here, that we are testing now and will go on the line by quarter 2 of 2027 will increase the physical capacity of the trains as to how many passengers they can carry. Also, just yesterday, at Cabinet, we got agreement for the order in relation to the Enterprise fleet. I say that because part of this work will be infrastructural work on the passing loop at Skerries and the passing loop at Mosney. The major infrastructural investment on the northern line relates to DART+ Coastal North.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate that, but will we see rail carriages ordered every year, given the long lead-in time?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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We have 185 right now. Well, we do not have them all but we have ordered them. They are being tested. We have the DART replacement fleet as well.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I want to come back to the issue of road safety. As the Minister knows, it is a key priority for this committee. I mentioned in my opening statement our ongoing work and engagement with numerous stakeholders to date and other stakeholders to follow. I want to focus on the issue of enforcement, in particular the strength of our roads policing unit. I know, ultimately, that is a matter for the Department of justice and indeed primarily a matter for the new Garda Commissioner. In terms of the information I have to hand, the current strength of our roads policing unit is 647. For me, in the context of road safety and saving lives, the biggest factor is driver behaviour, and enforcement shapes driver behaviour. Back in 2009, the strength of our roads policing unit was approximately 1,050, when we had perhaps a million fewer cars on Irish roads. The former Commissioner Mr. Harris was before this committee in May 2024 and he committed to an additional 150 members being allocated to the roads policing unit by December 2025. Assistant Commissioner Gunne was before this committee in October and she said only 50% of those allocations were made. Does the Minister you agree that enforcement is absolutely key? I was shocked, as regards the Garda operation between 1 December and the first week of January, by the extent of non-compliance with existing road traffic legislation, with 26,500 fixed penalty notices issued for speeding. What really shocked me was that 3,000 vehicles alone in that month were compounded because of various offences. About 60% of those did not have insurance. I ask the Minister to comment on the €125 fee for releasing a car from a compound. That needs to be increased. Does he support calls for the strengthening of our roads policing unit? There is a commitment in the programme for Government to 1,000 additional gardaí every year throughout the lifetime of the Thirty-fourth Dáil, but we should try to strengthen our roads policing unit to maybe 1,000 by the end of the Thirty-fourth Dáil. Does the Minister agree?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I do. The Chair has raised a really important point. Looking at the operation that was carried out over the Christmas period, it is shocking to see how many people are still breaking the law. People are aware that it is illegal and simply not acceptable to drink and drive or to drive under the influence of drugs. Some of the driver behaviour we witness on our roads is totally and utterly reckless. People have a personal responsibility but, unfortunately, some obviously do not care, and that is where enforcement comes in. Yes, I agree with the Chair. I meet regularly with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and I know this is a big focus for the Department. Look at the focus An Garda Síochána in recent times has put on illegal vehicles on the road. I am talking about scramblers, quads and high-power, battery-powered bikes and so on. Enforcement is critical but so too is that personal responsibility. I would like to see a continued increase in the allocation to the roads policing unit. The Chair and I both know that the deployment of resources within An Garda Síochána is a matter for An Garda Síochána itself, but the Government is committed to increasing the roads policing unit, and we need to do that. We also need to look at further deployment of average speed cameras and of detection devices and the use of technologies in that space, particularly for uninsured vehicles.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Perhaps I will put the Minister on the spot here. He mentioned 22 precious lives lost so far this year. The figure for the corresponding period last year was 16. In total, last year, 190 lives were lost. Behind all these statistics is a family absolutely devastated and communities devastated. In my role as Chair of this committee, I have noticed there is a lot of criss-crossing between transport and justice. Would the Minister support a call by this committee, by me as Chair, for the establishment of a Cabinet subcommittee on road safety, given the crisis? It is chilling to think that if we do nothing between this year and next year, 400 lives will be lost on Irish roads.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I support the work that has been done by the committee in this regard. In my opening statement I said all of us need to work together on this, and we will. The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, chairs a road safety committee that the Minister for justice attends as well. It would be worthwhile to have the input of this committee into that, which you do anyway, but-----

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Yes, but would you support the establishment of a full Cabinet subcommittee on road safety?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Certainly, anything we can do to further highlight the need for improvements in road safety I will support.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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May I ask just one final question about people with disabilities and people with hidden disabilities? It is important that we address here today, in terms of national transport policy, infrastructure design standards. What steps are you and your Department taking to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities or hidden disabilities are fully incorporated into those policies?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I am glad you have raised that point. Within the national human rights strategy there are a number of actions that speak to those who have special needs or disabilities. I want to ensure, as regards our public transport network, which I am responsible for, that people who have special needs have the same experience as people who do not. That is why we are spending a lot of money on retrofitting existing infrastructure, particularly train stations. Universal design is critical too. We have input from stakeholders, and I meet with the public transport users' forum. I see a couple of our colleagues are in the Gallery. There is constructive criticism and constructive engagement in that regard. We have seen 15 of our rail stations with effectively no pre-booking now for people using services, whereas Deputy Boland used an example of the northern line where people had to ring the day before if they wanted to use a train. We want to get rid of that. That is why these new trains, for example, will be critical, because there is no need for ramps to be deployed or to be brought out by stationmasters or other staff.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister. It is great to have him and his team here. In December the Department published a report, an analysis, of the matching process that takes place to ensure that driver numbers are linked to the national vehicle and driver file for penalty points and disqualifications. The national vehicle and driver file is our national database that the Garda and the motor insurance companies use, so it is a critical enforcement tool. The driver number is the most important piece of data for an offence to be fully recorded. We know that the process is working well with the fixed charge notices and that the driver number linking up is nearly automatic, but when it comes to the courts there is a serious problem because people are not turning up with their licences. They are not presenting their driver numbers, or the clerks are not capturing them, and this is being exploited. Then the Department has to work on those gaps. When it comes to disqualifications, they are outsourcing to a company to manually link this to the NVDF. For penalty points it is done through the Minister's Department. The report said that in 2024 19% of the penalty points, through the courts system, could have been matched to the national vehicle and driver file and were not. That could mean that there were over 1,500 penalty point offences that were not recorded to the national vehicle and driver file. That raises a red flag to me, not just because of the penalty point offences but also because when you reach 12 penalty points, or seven if you are a learner or a novice driver, you are supposed to be disqualified. In that report two approaches are outlined in terms of closing that loophole, and that is really important. I would like to hear from the Minister today on what is progressing. Are we categorically saying now that people when they go through the courts system cannot escape the recording of their penalty point offences?

I will start there.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for her intervention. It is a very important matter where individuals have committed road traffic offences where penalty points should be applied on their licence. The Courts Service has a role in this. It should be taking the driver number. That is then managed by us. I do not see it as a loophole but as an operational, procedural deficiency within the Courts Service. It needs to capture that.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Minister's Department is picking up the slack when that is not happening. It is using a third-party service for disqualifications that it is paying for to make sure those driver numbers are linked to the NVDF. I agree that the driver numbers should be caught in court but it is a loophole because it is being exploited by people who are not bringing their driver's licences. We have to close it. I welcome the report which has identified that there are two options that use the same for disqualifications in terms of using a third party to manually match them, or to work with the Courts Service and the Minister for justice to close this loophole. However, 1,500 penalty point offences in 2024 not being matched is a red flag to me. I have asked the Department whether that 19% for 2024, and there will be more for 2025, are going to be chased down. Is that going to be followed up? So far the responses have told me the analysis is not going to go any further than the matching process. I appeal to the Minister to look again at that. Why should, potentially, 1,500 penalty point offences not be linked to the NVDF? Why can we not go back and look retrospectively at that 19% and those 1,500 offences and make sure they are not people who should be off our roads?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy makes the point very well. The problem emanates from the driver number not being given in court, or the licence not being produced in court. That is a matter that the courts are going to have to deal with. We link that up, which is being done by a third party, to make sure that it sits on the driver file. However, 19% is an unacceptable number that are not being tracked. That matter emanates from the courts themselves and will have to be dealt with by the Courts Service as part of its own procedures. If someone arrives at court and they have been instructed to bring their licence, and they do not bring it, that is a matter the courts need to deal with.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I understand, but I am also giving the Minister the opportunity to say it is really important that even though the process has let us down, if we are aware of those 1,500 offences and we are able to say that they could have been matched, whether the information is in the Department to chase these people down and make sure they are linked to the NVDF.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Where we can match them, we will. What I am saying to the Deputy is that we know where the problem emanates from. I absolutely take her point. It is something we are aware of and it has been highlighted within the report. We have to see how that can be improved, working together with the Courts Service, but the problem emanates from there. Where we can link it up post the event, we do and we will. Basically 20%, a fifth of potential penalty points not being applied is not acceptable.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It does point to a bigger issue in terms of joining the dots and a joined-up approach.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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On motor tax, there is a financial penalty to people who cannot afford to pay in one lump sum and who pay in instalments. I understand the cost to remove the penalty would be about €35 million but in the context of €778 million having been collected in motor tax last year, and when there is a lot of frustration as people feel they are not getting services in respect of their local roads, in the cost-of-living crisis, would the Minister not remove the penalty on people who cannot afford it for the forthcoming year?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Instalments are an option that people can apply. It is normal and usual that where an instalment payment is made, because there is additional administration with that, there would be an additional cost to it.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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It is all paid online so the administration is not really that much of an issue.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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There is no plan to remove or to change that. Just to say about that €778 million with regard to collection of road tax, what we are spending and need to spend on our roads is significantly above that. To answer the Deputy directly, the motor tax where we reduce for EVs in particular, where we have other reductions as well in road tax, when we project it forward, the road tax amount per capita is actually coming down. I have no plans to change.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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There are plans to ease the pressure on hard-pressed motorists.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I have no plans to change the instalment payment criteria for motor tax.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister mentioned roads funding. It is maintained by Government that it is maintaining a 2:1 ratio with public transport. I am not sure that is the case because it is €10 billion for public transport and €9.7 billion. Is that the justification for the reduction from €33 million to €31 million in local and regional roads funding for Kerry? Is that why it was reduced?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Just to be really clear, I have stated the fact that the NDP investment in public transport to roads is over 2:1, on new public transport over new roads. Exactly the same formula was used in the previous Government in relation to how that was determined. Some have tried to muddy the waters on this a bit, which is fair enough if they wish to do so, in terms of including maintenance on existing roads. New public transport to new roads is over 2:1 in ratio terms.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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Okay. That is the reason local and regional roads in rural areas in rural areas in a county like Kerry----

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Not at all. I know what you are trying to do.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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Is that why it was reduced by €2 million?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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It is actually not, I am sorry to say. It is not. That is absolutely not the rationale. We allocate the moneys to roads. If we look at the investment in the south west on national, regional and rural roads----

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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That is good, and greenways is good. But the local roads, the regional roads were cut.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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No, we have a 6% overall increase.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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For the whole State.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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For the whole State. We will allocate moneys on the basis of the submissions received from local authorities and how they prioritise their work. What I also said earlier is that if we look at the discretionary funding, which is 10% of the allocation given to all local authorities to use as they see fit, and we are going to work with local authorities----

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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Okay. It is up over the whole State, which is good, but Kerry is being left behind. Is that what the Minister is saying?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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It would be a good soundbite to bring back to Kerry but absolutely not. Investment in Kerry with regard to national and local roads and greenways is significantly higher.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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Just two other quick questions on public transport. An Coimisiún Pleanála granted a railway order for the Luas Finglas extension back in 2025, and the DART+ South West was granted in November 2024. Construction for the Luas Finglas has been pushed back to 2029. Why?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I am glad the Deputy raised it because it actually has not. It has been brought forward. The previous NDP was post-2030. I brought this to construction in 2029. What is happening at the moment is that we have a railway order but we have three people contesting it through judicial reviews, which we are hopeful could be mediated out. If they are mediated out, and I have said this publicly and will say it again in front of the committee, Luas Finglas is a project we can deliver sooner. I have actually brought it forward in delivery time.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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Is there a commencement date for it?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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We have got to deal with the three objections first. We have allocations within the NDP for it. On DART+ South West, I answered Deputy Shane Moynihan earlier, who has been a very strong advocate for that project. We have started the CPO process already on that.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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Finally, the coast guard has a significant drop in funding from €145 million to €134 million. The Minister knows the concerns about working conditions and safety for their search and rescue helicopter crews.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Briefly please, Deputy.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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There are workplace relations issues there. There is decreased funding. Also at a time when Irish neutrality is clearly under threat and a lot of people out in the media are saying we will be spending millions and millions on a strategic gas reserve----

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Ask your question please, Deputy.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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Is this the right time to cut funding for marine transport and safety?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I actually did not for search and rescue and for the coastguard. There were significant capital payments made last year as well for that. I mentioned in my opening statement the fixed-wing aircraft and the new SAR contracts. There were significant payments made last year. When we look at one year versus the other, that does actually explain the slight difference in it.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I am going to let Deputy John Connolly in for two minutes, and then give every member another opportunity.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the opportunity. It is a quick query. I note there is legislation pending for the NTA on the spring legislative agenda. Will that include increased decision-making for local authorities in terms of active and sustainable travel projects? I will give two examples in Galway where I think there have been significant missed opportunities for the development of bus priority transport. One is the western distributor road. We were pursuing the development of cycle lanes, ideally, and a park-and-ride facility at the end of it, but we have not yet progressed the development of bus lanes on that route. The land is there. There is a similar issue in Oranmore in Galway. A proposal for an active travel scheme was published last week for a route between Oranmore village and the train station. Again, though, there are no bus priority measures along the route.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Bill the Deputy refers to is about extending the NTA's powers across the country outside of Dublin. It does not actually relate to any changes with regard to the interaction between the NTA and the local authorities, but that should be happening any way. Where it is not, as has been done before, it should be brought to our attention and we will make sure that engagement happens. This committee has met the NTA. Deputies, like Deputy Connolly, do as well.

In relation to those specific matters he raised concerning the western distributor road and Oranmore to Galway, I will certainly have a look into them for the Deputy.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The NTA Bill is not about-----

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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It is increasing the powers of the NTA.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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No, it is not. It is applying its existing powers to our other metropolitan areas.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Will that be at the loss of input from the local authorities?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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No, I do not see it that way at all. The Deputy will get an opportunity to have an input into that Bill and I will certainly take any such inputs and look at them positively.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Very good. I thank the Cathaoirleach.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I will go ahead with a second round to wrap up before we go on to the Estimates.

Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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Returning to the ANPR issue I mentioned in my previous contribution, we have HGV restrictions on a number of roads around the country. We also have a high need for traffic enforcement. This is the case with bus lane enforcement, especially, since we are investing in core bus corridors around Dublin in particular. What plans does the Minister's Department have in regard to the introduction of ANPR technology to assist with enforcement of those bans and to free up Garda time through gardaí not being needed to police that on roads? Are there plans to bring forward that sort of technological solution?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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To give an example, I met Bus Átha Cliath–Dublin Bus recently and it has brought to me some measures it believes would be beneficial. Every bus has cameras. Some changes to primary or secondary legislation might be required in that regard. If we look at the misuse of bus lanes, for example, I think the best way of detecting that is through using existing cameras that are or could be deployed on buses, for argument's sake. It is something we should do.

In relation to ANPR, that is deployed on a number of our toll roads. It is in use. In respect of being able to recognise offences, it is something that should be advanced further as well. We are looking now at the non-payment of motor tax. That will be done now through new technologies as opposed to tax discs. The obvious extension of that is to insurance and other items. Some of our transport operators, certainly, and I used the example of Bus Átha Cliath, are very open to assisting in this.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I want to return to the issue of road safety. In most countries, static speed cameras, red light cameras, etc., are an important part of the road safety mechanism. There is a camera enforcement strategy. It was submitted to the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, about eight months ago. Does the Minister know why it has not been published yet?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Yes. It is actually with the Minister of State and is being finalised now. I expect it to be published very shortly and I will keep the committee informed.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Does the Minister have a timeline for it?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Not with me. I do not want to give the Deputy an incorrect timeframe, but I will respond to him directly on it.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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It is just that eight months is a while for it to be sitting on the Minister of State's desk.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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It is.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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During that time, there was a small pilot programme of four fixed cameras in Dublin city that had been agreed during the last Government. That pilot was suspended because the enforcement strategy was forthcoming. It has not been forthcoming, so actually there has been no advance on this issue. Does the Minister have a position on the use of static cameras? Is it something he wants to see rolled out across Dublin and other urban areas?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, it is, because they are a very good deterrent. There are static speed cameras and average speed cameras, and it is about how we can use them. We have seen in other jurisdictions how it works well. We also see it works well, for argument's sake, within the Dublin Port Tunnel. I do not think it has been sitting on the desk of the Minister of State for eight months. It is a finalisation of the report.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Does the Minister have funding for static cameras in the budget for this year?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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For this year, yes. There is the funding. We should be able to start the pilot, but I-----

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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How much?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I could not tell the Deputy off the top of my head, but I will get those details for him.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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That is great. I thank the Minister.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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In terms of rural bus services, the NTA recently held a public consultation on proposals to reroute the 425A bus that goes from Mountbellew to Galway through Athenry. That town lost its bus service about a year and a half ago. There was a huge response to the consultation. We had over 100 submissions. More or less everybody was on the same page: they want to see the 425A route protected to ensure nobody would lose out on their only bus service and there would not be an increased journey time, capacity issues, etc. People want to see a direct, stand-alone bus established between Athenry and Galway. Does the Minister agree with me when I say nobody should lose their only bus service? Will he urge the NTA to listen to the views expressed by local people in that consultation in relation to protecting the 425A route and establish a direct, stand-alone bus service between Athenry and Galway?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. What is happening now is that the submissions received from residents and those who use services in that area are being assessed by the NTA. The public views will be taken on board. I will await the outcome of the review of those submissions.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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Does the Minister think anybody should lose their only bus service?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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What we are about is expanding services across the country and that is borne out by the public transport numbers published independently of me just last week.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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Should there be any barrier to establishing a stand-alone bus-----

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Over 363 million journeys were made last year. We are taking that point seriously and we will wait until these submissions are reviewed.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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I am just going to come back to the rail aspect again. I was just thinking that Irish Rail did come back about the Longford-Sligo commuter train. It said it is not an issue of rolling stock. Can that be clarified? The company said the train is there and it is not an issue with the stock, but more around timetabling. We even worked out by simulating it that the timetabling would not be an issue. Can I get confirmation in this regard?

I was also thinking about the catering carriage and what Senator Duffy said. The Minister said there is going to be an upgrade to all the rural stations. There is no roof in Sligo station. It is like a skeleton. There are also loads of stations along the way. Surely, though, it would be more cost-effective to have some kind of catering on board trains rather than having facilities in each rural station, if that is what the plan is?

The Minister spoke about the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Dublin transport authority (amendment) Bill 2025. The powers of the NTA are going to be extended out to rural cities. Is Sligo going to be included? It is recognised as functioning as a city in the north west.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I think the committee agreed to waive the pre-legislative scrutiny on that Bill, so it is not going to come to it. I will have to check about Sligo train station. On Longford and the timetabling of that train, I ask the Deputy to let me take that up with Iarnród Éireann.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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Yes, that would be brilliant.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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If Iarnród Éireann is saying it is the timetabling, then it is responsible for timetabling.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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Okay.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I do not know why it could not answer that question, but let me find out the answer. On catering, the Senator has made the point loud and clear. I think I have as well, in relation to having to prioritise the funding we have to provide additional services.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister again. I just want to raise the issue of the R312 road in and out of Belmullet, one of the most western towns in the country. Belmullet serves the whole barony of Erris, which is the size of County Louth. For all my life, and generation after generation, investment has been promised, but there has been very little investment in that road. The poor connectivity in that area has been well published and the lack of ambulance services at times because of the poor quality of the road network. What hope can the Minister give the people of Belmullet that we can upgrade this road to connect the people of Erris to Ballina, Castlebar and onwards?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for the question. We have issued our roads allocations to the local authorities outside of the four Dublin local authorities. The allocation has been given to Mayo County Council. It is the roads authority for Belmullet and Erris. The county council must deploy the resources we have given it, and it is responsible for the roads in its administrative area.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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Can it be designated as a strategic road to receive specialised funding?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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It is up to the county council to apply for that and to prioritise it. That is if Mayo County Council did apply, and I do not think it has. We have allocated funding.

The local authorities are the roads authorities. We have increased their funding this year again. They have to deploy it and do so efficiently.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I was talking about the rural bus budgets and mentioned the route serving Dunmanway, Clonakilty, Grange and Timoleague. That was put out to tender months and months ago and nothing has happened since. People keep asking me when it is starting. We are hearing there is no money there. Will the Minister give me an update on that? The old service was going from Louisburgh to Killeen and was there prior to Covid. Why was that service pulled? Will it be reinstated? Existing services in Westport and Louisburgh are going well but they need extra times on the schedule. Where is the budget?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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We have given our allocations for 2026 and we have to manage the budget we have. Our agencies have to manage the budgets they have to maintain existing routes and, where they can, add routes. It is a matter of prioritisation.

On the service to Dunmanway, Clonkility and Grange and the one in Louisburgh, I will get an update. I do not have one to hand but will get one and write to the Deputy directly.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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For the Inishannon bypass, northern and southern relief bypasses of Bandon and the Bantry bypass, when will the bucket hit the ground? Reports after reports could go on for decades.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I will come back to the Deputy with a date.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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I have been contacted by people all over the country in relation to ticketing. Everyone is frustrated about not being able to use the card. Next generation ticketing is within the NTA's remit. The train control centre - the IT element of that project - had an overrun of over 100%. Does the NTA have the capability to deliver it? As a corporate lawyer, I am astounded by the many hats the NTA wears and now it is going to get transport security. I really struggle with its remit. Does it have the competence to deliver a very technically complex project? They are already telling me how complex it is. I am looking at €228 million, as a minimum. We cannot let this go out of control. I want more 33 buses and more train carriages.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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We got an extra 33d from Donabate recently, which is being well used at 7 a.m.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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That is not helping me.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Work is well under way on next generation ticketing. I have met Indra twice. I was in its office with the NTA and my team a few weeks ago. It has opened a permanent office in Dublin, which I welcome. Senior executives came from Spain. This is a really important project and they will deliver it and deliver it well. It will be rolled out on a phased basis. Current timelines see first release in 2027. It has to operate in tandem with the existing Leap card system while we transition. I have seen some of the new equipment. We have to install that new equipment and that will happen.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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Does it have the competence? Will we see any overruns on this project?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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We have seen overruns already, which I am not happy about, regarding the control centre. We are watching the NGT really closely and I am engaging with Indra directly.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I just want to correct the record. It was said, including in the Minister's opening statement, that 22 lives had been lost so far this year. I have been looking at the Garda website. It is actually 25. Fatalities for the year to date are at 25.

I mentioned the 3,000 vehicles seized in that December Garda operation. I have raised a number of parliamentary questions on the statutory fee for the release of vehicles impounded by An Garda Síochána. That fee stands at €125. It has not been increased in some time. I hear repeated stories of cars being impounded and collected on a transporter; half a mile down the road they are off the transporter and back on the road. We need to increase that fee.

I understand the fees are specified in Department of Transport regulations because the reasons for the seizures are offences under the Road Traffic Act. They are determined by An Garda Síochána and the Department of justice and then notified to the Department of Transport. I ask the Minister to engage with the Minister for justice. We have not had an increase in the fee and it is far too low. Any impounded vehicle involves a significant cost. I am sure we are paying millions to compounds around the country. Will the Minister commit to increasing the fee at the earliest opportunity? I accept it is a Minister for justice issue but I ask the Minister for Transport to engage with him.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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We will. We want to see the fee increased and are working on the regulations right now. We expect the fee to be increased this year. We will keep the Cathaoirleach informed.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Can the Minister indicate the level of increase? Will the fee be significantly increased? I appeal to him to significantly increase it.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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That is being assessed. We are looking to get that regulation changed this year.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The tax saver scheme has gone from 60,000 beneficiaries in 2019 to just 26,000 last year. I do not think it is being used to its full potential. Has the Minister considered expanding it, making it more flexible, bringing in more sustainable modes of transport and speaking to people like Mobility Partnership Ireland?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I agree it is a concern. We have seen a decrease in the use of the tax saver scheme, which is a cost-effective scheme for people. The public awareness piece around it needs to be revisited too. We are open to anything that will encourage more public transport use. In our first year in the Department of Transport, we have introduced a number of changes around the priorities we have. We are open to input on how we can increase those numbers.

There are other things we are looking at. We have seen significant changes with regard to the companion pass and expanding free travel for five- to eight-year-olds. Those are the types of areas we have been focused on but the point with regard to the tax saver scheme is well made.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Great. It would be good if we could look at it before the budget.

I will go back to what I spoke about earlier. The Minister's Department led on this analysis. I appreciate it has formally identified where the issues are. I am heartened by the response today. It changes the response I got to the parliamentary question, which was that it would not be taken any further in relation to the missed penalty points. I would welcome confirmation, either now or after the meeting, that the Minister will follow up on the penalty points missed in 2024 and 2025 and make sure those people do not get away with that.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy should remember the people who did not bring their licence or provide their driver number are the ones at fault in the first instance. It is a matter for the Courts Service and its process to reduce the number of people who get away with this. Where we can re-link people up, we will do it. I am not saying and have not said I will do a separate project to link up that 19% but the Deputy's point is well made. We have to improve that process whereby 19% of penalty points were probably not applied. That is a concern.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The people in 2024 and 2025 should not be allowed to get away with it. The road deaths are too high.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I think I am correct in saying that in a limited number of cases where details were manually uploaded to the system, there have been mistakes and individuals have been incorrectly uploaded to the file. I think that was confirmed in a reply to a parliamentary question.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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Much of the uptake of EV cars has been in the wealthier areas of Dublin and Cork. What plans does the Minister have to expand the scheme and make it more accessible and affordable to people from rural areas and on medium or low incomes?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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It is a fair point. We have about 212,000 EVs on the roads. I have mentioned in the Dáil that I would like to focus on expanding that in rural areas. That is something we are working on with regard to the potential for a scrappage scheme and things like that. I will look to introduce further measures this year. We have published our national EV charging strategy for the coming years. It got approval at Cabinet yesterday. It is about improving charging facilities. We have a target to reach by the end of the decade of about 969,000 EVs. We are doing well in that regard but we can improve the offering in rural areas to encourage people to make the switch.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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When might the Minister have those?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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We are looking at options right now. I have looked at options already with the ZEVI team. We have not landed on a final option.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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Before the summer maybe.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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This year, hopefully, subject to resources.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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That concludes the first part of today's engagement with the Minister. I propose we adjourn and resume at 11.15 a.m. for a select committee meeting on the Estimates.

I thank the members for adhering to their slots. We were constrained by time. We will reconvene at 11.15 a.m.

The joint committee stands adjourned until 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 4 March, when it will meet again in public session but the select committee will resume at 11.15 a.m. I thank the officials as well.