John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

He cannot speak twice during a debate and I am responding on his behalf. I thank the Deputies who have contributed. Notwithstanding some contributions, there has been a great deal of agreement on certain issues among the Members who have spoken and that broad agreement should be mirrored in support for the Government's counter-motion. We have heard differing views on the detail of particular projects and whether one should be prioritised over another. The last two speakers named some of the projects in their own areas. Some have referred to new projects which should be added to those already listed in Project Ireland 2040. Leaving aside differences on detail, we all agree on the need to increase investment in public transport, whether in rural areas or large urban centres. We all agree that an improved, accessible and integrated transport system has an important role to play in helping us to address our climate action challenge. We all agree that improvements to our public transport system must be delivered in a timely fashion and, importantly, the Government is seeking to deliver on each of those points of agreement.

Funding for public transport has increased in recent years under the main public transport capital expenditure programmes and by almost 30% in the last two years. That has meant increased numbers of PSO buses nationally, continued planning and design for a number of important projects and the closing of the funding gap in respect of the steady-state maintenance and renewal of the heavy rail network. Total expenditure under the PSO programme has increased by approximately 37% in the last three years allowing the National Transport Authority and bus operators to introduce new and expanded PSO bus services nationally while we have seen improvements in commuter rail services also. Funding for Local Link services in rural areas has increased by over 50% from €12 million just three years ago in 2016 to €21 million this year. As the Minister, Deputy Ross, stated earlier, the increased funding for Local Link has facilitated the introduction of new regular commuter services, improvements to demand-responsive services and the piloting of new evening services. What is more, the increases of recent years will continue to be seen in the coming years with funding for public and sustainable transport investment programmes scheduled to increase by over €500 million by 2021. We are investing in public transport and will continue to do so in the years ahead.

The Green Party motion highlights the need to ensure we have an accessible public transport system. The Government agrees that we need to improve the accessibility of our public transport in certain areas. That is why the Minister, Deputy Ross, has trebled the amount of money available to retrofit the older parts of the system that need to be brought into line with modern requirements and expectations.

That retrofitting programme involves upgrading older infrastructure and facilities, for example, installing accessible bus stops in rural areas, upgrading train stations to make them wheelchair accessible and introducing more wheelchair-accessible vehicles into the taxi fleet. This year, the Exchequer will also fund a number of other initiatives including: the roll-out by Irish Rail of customer service agents on intercity rail services, which will eliminate the need for advance notice and assist passengers generally; the delivery of new accessible buses for regional, medium-distance PSO services; and the roll-out of audiovisual announcements on all rural and regional Bus Éireann services for approximately 6,000 bus stops nationwide. In addition, the disability representatives that the Minister appointed as directors to the five public transport companies are bringing lived experience of accessibility issues to their boards. Progress is being made in this important area. It goes without saying that, as we develop new infrastructure, the issue of accessibility needs to be built in from the start.

In terms of climate action, we face a challenge in reducing our national emissions. We can all agree that public transport has its part to play in meeting that challenge in terms of offering people a viable alternative to the car through improved and expanded services and networks and demonstrating leadership through decarbonising the fleets and moving away from diesel. On both fronts, a range of initiatives are under way that every Deputy will support. The Minister referred to the significant potential of projects like BusConnects, the DART expansion and MetroLink. These can be transformative and offer sustainable alternatives to many people who might otherwise choose the private car. If we are serious about changing how we travel and how we think about transport, these are the types of project that we need to see rolled out and every Deputy should be vociferous in his or her support and timely delivery.

Other Exchequer-funded projects have their role to play in expanding the reach of sustainable transport. As a representative from a rural community, I am well aware of the importance of the Local Link services in providing sustainable transport options in rural areas. I have already referred to the increased funding that has been made available in recent years. It has allowed for the introduction of 66 new regular services to the Local Link network as well as improvements to the demand-responsive services. New and enhanced services are to be introduced across counties Wicklow, Wexford, Limerick, Galway, Clare and Westmeath. During 2019, improved PSO bus services will be provided in Cork city and county and Limerick and Waterford cities and there will be improved connections to cities, for example, from Connemara to Galway and from Navan and Drogheda to Dublin. There are also well developed plans to introduce improved bus services in a number of other urban centres, such as Drogheda, Sligo and Carlow as well as in Kilkenny City, which Deputy Eamon Ryan's colleague, Councillor Malcolm Noonan, and I sought for many years. These new and expanded services are providing sustainable transport options for many people who previously might have relied on the car.

In terms of leadership, Deputies will all be aware of the commitment to end the purchase of diesel-only buses for the urban PSO bus fleets from this year on. Low-emission bus trials are continuing in Dublin and Cork. The results of these trials will inform future bus purchasing policy and the choice of technology for the medium term. For next year, the NTA has indicated that it will purchase hybrids for the urban PSO bus fleet.

Regarding rail, Iarnród Éireann will this year commence an Exchequer-funded trial of hybrid packs on some diesel trains on the intercity fleet that, if successful, could be rolled out across the rest of the country's intercity fleet in due course. Under the DART expansion programme, the electrified network around the greater Dublin area will be significantly extended and an expanded fleet of approximately 300 diesel electric carriages will be ordered shortly.

Since public transport is not always a viable travel option, a generous range of incentives, supports and measures are making the transition to electric vehicles more affordable and attractive. This is being reflected in strongly increased uptake and demand.

I made reference at the outset to what I believed was another point of agreement between all sides. We all want to see improvements made to our public transport system in a timely fashion. The Minister has referred to the statutory and policy frameworks in place. These are designed to ensure that we have a plan-led, strategic approach to the evaluation of transport needs and the response to same. This approach is reflected in Project Ireland 2040, with the national strategic outcomes supported by strategic investment priorities.

Just as the Government's amendment states, we need to ensure delivery of the priorities contained in Project Ireland 2040. That is No. 1, and every Deputy who believes in improving public transport will recognise that those big projects must be delivered. However, Project Ireland is not just about big projects. It contains a wide range of other public transport initiatives, some of which I have listed. The potential of the western rail corridor's phases 2 and 3 are being re-examined and Iarnród Éireann has recently appointed consultants to carry out an evaluation of that proposal. We are also committed to examining the benefits of high-speed rail on our mainline rail network. As stated in Project Ireland 2040, that examination will commence next year. We are funding projects like a new national train control centre, construction of which should commence toward the end of the year. We are increasing investment in our cycling and walking infrastructure, with projects under construction or scheduled to start in urban and rural areas this year.

I reiterate my view that the House broadly agrees on this important topic. That agreement can be reflected in support for the Government's amendment. We need to deliver the multibillion euro investment package outlined in Project Ireland 2040, which will benefit hundreds of millions of passenger journeys every year across this country. We need to plan continually for the future so as to ensure that we are always improving our public transport system. However, it is important that we plan in a structured and strategic way in order to ensure that the right projects are brought forward at the right time and we deliver value for money for the taxpayer. That is the essence of the amendment, which I commend to the House.

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