Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Accessible and attractive public transport systems are essential to attract potential passengers out of their cars and to reduce congestion in our cities, towns and villages. Significant investment has been made in the country's public transport network in the last decade. As I am sure every Deputy agrees, we have modern bus, tram and train fleets.

While we are not in a financial position at present to make further substantial investments to expand our public transport network, the Department, working with the National Transport Authority, will continue to invest in public transport infrastructure where it will give the greatest return. For example, the Luas cross-city line will link the red and green lines, improving the attractiveness of the LUAS network as a whole. We are also continuing to invest in bus lanes in cities around the country to get the best use of our buses and improve the passenger experience by reducing delays and improving reliably.  We will continue to invest in rail safety and maintenance programmes to ensure the optimal operation of the rail network.

The Government recognises that efficient public transport services are essential for social and economic well-being and will continue to provide financial support to the operators of public transport services under the public service obligation. The National Transport Authority has developed a range of technological solutions to make public transport more attractive and accessible to passengers, including an online national journey planner, the real-time passenger information system, which has been a great success, and the Leap card, which enables passengers to make cashless trips on a range of different transport modes. In addition to investing in public transport infrastructure and delivery, the Department and the National Transport Authority actively promote the use of public transport, through targeted programmes such as the green schools travel flag, smarter travel workplaces and smarter travel areas.

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