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

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding for public transport. The NTA has responsibility for the development of public transport infrastructure including ticketing and technology projects. The next generation ticketing project is very significant and will provide a transformative upgrade to the ticketing system for public transport passengers in Ireland. The project will facilitate a variety of payment methods on public transport services. This will involve a new-generation account-based ticketing scheme that incorporates both mobile and card-based payments for passengers.

As the Deputy outlined in his original contribution, a competitive procurement process was concluded in April of last year. The NTA awarded an overall framework contract for the design, supply, installation and operation of the new multi-modal ticketing system to a Spanish information technology company, Indra Sistemas, which has designed, installed and operated similar systems internationally.

Implementing such a major and complex system across multiple transport operators requires pretty significant co-ordination. The project involves ensuring that all payment processes adhere to the highest security standards to protect customers. Comprehensive cybersecurity verification and testing will be conducted to safeguard the system against potential threats and to ensure that customers are charged correctly. In addition, the operation of the new ticketing system will involve the introduction of new financial management processes and customer support systems and the establishment of maintenance, logistics and operational teams. All of this has to occur while the current ticketing systems continue to operate.

I put all of this on the record because it shows the breadth of work that needs to be done to bring this into operation. The NTA is making great efforts to ensure this transformation and beneficial project for public transport passengers is delivered as effectively as possible. I have asked for target dates for delivery and we are probably looking at the year after next, 2027. That comes with a health warning because the ICT system must be tested to ensure it is robust. This will be transformational for public transport passengers across all transport modes.

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