Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. The reality, from a public finance point of view, is that we were not able to proceed with a number of good projects, as the Deputy is aware.

We have prioritised linking up the Luas lines, a measure the Deputy supports. It is a good project that is progressing. It was unfortunate but there have been other significant investments. For example, there was a requirement to change many bus fleets and that has been done. There was a requirement to modernise many areas, particularly technology. We finally launched integrated ticketing, which is being rolled out in phases. Other developments include real-time passenger information and Wi-Fi on trains and buses so much progress has been made to make the public transport user's experience better. Those were crucial developments that needed to be done and over time we will see the success of those changes. The Deputy raised the issue of Network Direct in Dublin. Much of the analysis shows that many people are quite happy with some of the changes, particularly cross-city services and getting into town more quickly.

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