Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I tabled this question because there has been a major increase in population in the Laytown-Bettystown area. The majority of those people have relocated from Dublin and travel to Dublin every day. We have a situation where the cost of an adult monthly train fare from Laytown to Dublin is €247. The fare from Balbriggan to Connolly Station in Dublin is €145 a month and Drogheda to Dublin is €264 a month. The average cost of an adult return ticket to Balbriggan is €11.05 and the equivalent to Laytown is €21.15. There is a distance of 10 km between Laytown and Balbriggan.

The issue is about reducing our carbon footprint. I have asked the NTA on numerous occasions to extend the short hop zone to Laytown and Bettystown to encourage more people to leave their cars and get on the train. The NTA has refused to do this, but the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is responsible for policy. We know that at the stroke of a pen he could direct the NTA to extend the short hop zone. Will that be done?

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