Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I fully accept what the Deputy said about there being occasions when someone is left at the bus stop, the real-time information not being accurate and the bus not appearing or being full. We can never be fully satisfied with the service. We have to really improve the payments system and the online monitoring system and accelerate the provision of road space in order that we can improve bus times, and that all requires significant change.

We have to be careful, however, not to ignore the reality that what is happening is an incredible transformation in our public transport numbers. The increase last year on the previous year was something like 24%. That is phenomenal and that does not happen ordinarily. That was partly accounted for by coming out of Covid but the vast majority of the increase is due to expanded services and patronage, so the system is working.

Part of making it work is that the NTA has dramatically expanded. I do not have the exact figures to hand but we have provided all the additional staffing resources the NTA has needed, and that will continue. That does not mean we do not use consultants – Jarrett Walker, for example, is involved in Cork - or bring in outside expertise, but we do need to build up resources.

I will finish my point in my concluding reply.

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