Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The National Transport Authority, NTA, has statutory responsibility for the provision of public transport infrastructure and public transport services in the greater Dublin Area, and a range of initiatives are being undertaken as regards service provision and investment. Under the recent capital plan there will be investment of €3.6 billion in public transport in the capital between 2016 and 2022. That will enable a number of major public transport projects to proceed and it will also fund additional capacity to meet existing and growing commuter needs. Under the capital plan, the construction of a metro link between the city centre, Dublin Airport and Swords will commence in 2021. Other improvements to the Dublin public transport system that are planned for the short and medium term include the opening of the Phoenix Park tunnel next summer, improved DART frequency, the opening of the LUAS cross city in 2017, elements of the DART expansion programme, including the extension of the DART to Balbriggan, and the ongoing improvement and expansion of bus services

On the service provision front, the NTA funds public service obligation, PSO, bus and rail services and oversees the provision of Luas services as part of its statutory remit. The NTA will receive an additional €28 million in PSO funding from my Department in 2016 in response to the increased need I have outlined.

The Dublin city centre transport study is now being undertaken by the NTA and the city council. A significant number of submissions - almost 8,000 - have been made on it, which I welcome. They include numerous submissions on the future of College Green.

The NTA recently published its fare determinations for 2016 with the aim of maintaining customer support while ensuring financial stability for the operators.

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