Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise a long-running issue in my constituency of Louth, which includes parts of east Meath. I refer to the need to extend the short hop zone to Laytown and Drogheda. I have raised this issue on many occasions with the NTA at meetings I requested, at committee meetings and in representations to the authority. To be honest, I have been met with a brick wall. This is a pity because the extension really is a no-brainer.

A monthly rail ticket to Dublin from Laytown costs €237. A monthly ticket from Balbriggan to Dublin costs €154. Laytown is the next stop after Balbriggan and the rail distance between the two stations is a mere 9 km. The villages of east Meath, including Laytown, Bettystown and Donacarney, as well as Drogheda, have experienced a major expansion in their populations over the past decade or so. A huge percentage of those people commute to Dublin every day. There is a major burden on them, which they have been talking about for years. Clearly, the NTA is not listening, which is why I am raising the issue with the Minister today.

There is a total inequity in price fare structures, which penalises people using Drogheda and Laytown stations. Commuters are resorting to driving their cars to Balbriggan to avail of the short hop zone fares. From an environmental point of view, this is absolutely bonkers, as I am sure the Minister will agree. He is leader of the Green Party and Minister for Transport. He is aware of this issue. His policies are encouraging people to drive part of the way to work because they cannot afford public transport. These are the policies he is putting forward and that people must live with, day in and day out. These are the policies coming from a Green Party Minister for Transport.

Witnesses from the NTA made it clear to the transport committee several weeks ago that they are not even looking at fare reductions. We have seen of late that the Minister can reduce fares with the stroke of a pen. People in Laytown and the whole east Meath area, along with Drogheda, have been asking for more than a decade for an extension of the short hop zone to include them. As a basic principle, public transport should be affordable and accessible. Given the NTA's reluctance to ensure this is the case, it is clear the Government is the only entity that is able to do it. There is an environmental and economic case to reduce the fares. It is up to the Minister now to act. He gave a fine opening statement in which he talked about super-fast and sustainable travel and encouraging people to use public transport. As I was listening, I was waiting for him to acknowledge the situation I am raising and to tell me he is going to address it straight away, because it is bonkers. The policies that are in place under his watch are giving people no option other than to drive part of their journey to work in order to avail of the short hop zone fare up the road.

Will the Minister continue talking the talk or is he going to walk the walk? Will he give a commitment to take action, particularly in view of all the reasons I have outlined and given that it is a no-brainer from an economic and environmental point of view? Will he listen and will he act? He talked about speedy action. Is he going to address this issue or will he, like the NTA, turn a blind eye to it? Will he extend the short hop zone? People want to travel by train. The Minister is talking about encouraging the use of public transport seven days a week. Will he make it more affordable and accessible for the people I am talking about to do precisely that by extending the short hop zone, or is he just going to ignore the issue? Which will it be?

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