James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 24:

In page 27, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following:“14. The Minister shall, within 3 months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on the possibility of extending the TaxSaver Commuter Ticket Scheme to include parking costs associated with public transport.”.

The objective of the amendment is to request a report on the possibility of extending the taxsaver commuter ticket scheme to include parking costs associated with public transport. The objective should be self-evident and is straightforward, namely, to promote the use of public transport. There would be many benefits, not least tackling climate change, addressing gridlock in cities, improved quality of life for commuters and general support for a public policy that is already well established.

The amendment seeks to include parking costs associated with commuting on public transport as part of the taxsaver scheme. I come at this issue from a direct personal perspective because I have been a commuter for 15 years at this stage from Sallins, near Naas, to the city centre. I also represent Kildare North which is in the commuter belt and probably one of the main areas from which people commute. It includes towns such as Leixlip, Confey, Maynooth, Sallins, Naas, Clane, Kilcock and Celbridge. According to the CSO, more than 50% of the working population of County Kildare commute to Dublin city centre. I have seen the difficulties they experience. There have been welcome improvements to public transport in recent times, but there is still a long way to go.

My focus is on parking at train stations. Until a couple of years ago there was no charge for parking, certainly at Irish Rail stations, while there was a small charge at Luas stations when light rail services were introduced. There are different systems in place for different travel options. The introduction of paid parking at stations was resisted at the time as it was seen as a retrograde move. However, the system is now in place at railway stations and the cost has increased again recently. The cumulative effect is another reason for commuters not to park at a station and use public transport. It is sometimes easier to stay in one's car and keep on driving to one's place of work, particularly if the traffic is moving. The alternative is to pull into the station and pay the fee.

The benefits of including parking costs in the taxsaver scheme would be many, including convenience for the individual commuter, affordability in the sense that there would be a small rebate and the routine and simplicity associated with the system. By routine I mean that instead of having to fumble for change each morning when someone is running into the station or trying to get his or her bearings, if he or she could purchase an annual parking ticket as an add-on to the commuter ticket, which is already a well established scheme; it would be a one-off annual payment and he or she could rely on using the train, bus or Luas every day. If someone does not do it in that way, one is likely to take an ad hocapproach. He or she might pay for parking today and tomorrow, park somewhere else the following day, or drive to work on other days and so on. The convenience of being able to pay upfront would be a major factor.

Irish Rail did introduce a pilot scheme about three years ago under which one was able to buy a parking ticket as part of the annual rail ticket. It was so popular that lt had to discontinue the offer temporarily while it upgraded its administration system because it did not have the resources to cope with the demand. It did not anticipate how popular the scheme would prove to be. There would be many benefits for the individual commuter who tries to figure out his or her path to work each morning. Many commuters already buy an annual ticket and there would be a benefit in buying an integrated ticket which means that it would be one less thing to worry about in the morning. Convenience is a big consideration on a daily basis, as is advance purchase.

There would also be benefits to communities. All public representatives in this House and certainly those of us who were members of local authorities are aware of the problems for residents who live adjacent to railway, bus and Luas stations as commuters often park in neighbouring estates and on neighbouring streets. Encouraging commuters to use the parking options provided for, including the integrated taxsaver scheme, would partly address that problem. I hope the benefits to society are obvious at this stage. I set them out at the start of my contribution, but they are well established in some areas. I refer to action on climate change, avoiding gridlock and promoting the use of public transport, including sustainable transport. Encouraging commuters to do so using an integrated scheme seems to be very reasonable, sensible and progressive. The amendment calls for a report to be prepared to examine the feasibility of this option. It is reasonable to ask for this to be done. I, therefodre, urge the Minister to consider the amendment.

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