Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Troy. All of us are aware that increasing numbers of people are choosing to use public transport and all of us will, I am sure, welcome that fact. The Deputy is right to say that these increases can cause pressures at certain times and in certain places on the capacity of the public transport system. I hope he will acknowledge that there are short, medium and longer-term responses required to deal with those pressures.

My priority over the next few years is to increase investment in public transport infrastructure and services across the country. That is why I have provided funding to the National Transport Authority, NTA, to introduce measures such as expanding the public service obligation, PSO, bus fleets across the country; increasing and improving PSO bus services; introducing ten-minute DART services; increasing usage of the Phoenix Park tunnel for Kildare line commuters; expanding off-peak services generally across the rail network; increasing funding of the heavy rail network to steady state levels; and introducing longer trams on the newly extended Luas Green Line.

In the medium term I am providing increased funding to the NTA to continue to: expand PSO bus fleets, which will increase again this year; deliver new and improved cycling and walking infrastructure, with a number of important projects starting construction this year; complete the city centre resignalling project, which will benefit rail services; explore, and secure, medium-term solutions to capacity constraints on the rail network; and extend all trams on the Luas green line and purchase eight additional trams, which we expect to begin to arrive by quarter 4 this year.

In the longer term, I am working with my Government colleagues in delivering upon the ambition of Project Ireland 2040 and its national strategic objectives. This involves major transformative projects such as BusConnects in all the major cities, DART expansion, MetroLink, the national train control centre and the development of strategic cycling networks. Together these will have a significant and positive impact for people in using our public transport system.

I assure the Deputy that this Government is committed to achieving a modern, efficient and effective integrated public transport system across the country and the measures I have outlined above will support the shift toward sustainable transport.

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