Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy. The review is not concluded yet. I have not received it. He is right to highlight the importance of the passenger experience. When we think of our public transport system, passengers and customers have to be central to it. Public transport is not just about moving from A to B – it is a vital service that connects individuals to work, education, healthcare and their communities. That is why I am firmly committed to ensuring our public transport system offers services that are accessible, reliable, affordable and, in particular, safe.

On reliability, we have major infrastructure plans under BusConnects for each of our five cities, as well as introducing improvements to the vehicle location system for the fleet, which will improve the reliability of the real-time passenger information system. That remains a frustration for passengers on some routes. Real-time information is key. We need to see construction start on the BusConnects corridors in Dublin and roll that out to the other cities. Most of those projects are through planning. Three are not subject to judicial review, so we can start them; others are held up and there are objections. BusConnects, particularly in our cities, will be critical to improving the passenger experience.

We are supporting accessibility through our commitment to expand the availability of public transport across the country. This commitment is supported by both international and national frameworks, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and our national sustainable mobility policy, which promotes a whole-journey approach to mobility and inclusive access for all. All new infrastructure is designed with accessibility in mind and significant progress has been made in improving accessibility. This year, my Department has increased funding by 67% for the retrofitting of legacy infrastructure to make it more accessible, particularly for those who have additional needs or are disabled and our senior citizens.

Equally important is the safety of passengers and staff across the public transport network. The NTA’s 2024 passenger security report shows that while reported incident rates remain low at 2.2 per 100,000 passenger journeys, incidents are being raised. Even one incident is one too many.

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