Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My Department's high-level policy goal for accessible public transport is embodied in the concept of Transport Access for All. This policy is based on the provisions of the Disability Act 2005 and related Government strategies, in particular the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021, NDIS, launched by Minister of State with responsibility for disability, Deputy Finian McGrath, in July last. The NDIS includes a number of transport-related actions, for which my Department, the National Transport Authority, NTA, and-or passenger transport operators have lead responsibility for implementing.

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy on and overall funding of public transport. The four-year capital envelope for public transport announced in budget 2018 includes a multi-annual allocation of almost €28 million for the accessibility retrofit programme for the period 2018 to 2021. This funding is a trebling of the previous allocation for accessibility under the capital plan. It relates to accessibility upgrades for existing older infrastructure and is additional to the investment in new infrastructure which, as a matter of course, is now designed to facilitate accessibility. The additional funding will facilitate the continued roll-out of the programmes to install accessible bus stops, upgrade train stations to make them accessible to wheelchair users and provide grant support for the introduction of more wheelchair accessible vehicles into the taxi fleet.

The NTA, which has functional responsibility for promoting the development of an integrated accessible public transport network, and passenger transport operators are working to progress the transport actions under the NDIS. These actions are aimed at addressing the issues that the Deputy has raised.

Irish Rail hopes to commence a pilot project on the DART early in the new year aimed at reducing the period of advance notice for disabled passengers from 24 to four hours by guaranteeing staffing across grouped stations and ensuring flexibility to enable staff to move between stations to provide assistance. The NTA has also commenced a tender competition for medium-distance bus/coach-type vehicles which would allow unbooked wheelchairs to board with normal ramp access on Bus Éireann PSO services.

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