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

I thank Deputy O'Gorman for tabling this useful motion. I fully understand it is difficult for many Deputies to resist the temptation and not go into the micro and macro. From the contributions, people have recognised that significant progress has been made in public transport and want to work together to accelerate that progress further. It has been a good debate. I was at a Bus Éireann board meeting for the first hour of this debate, so the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, was here for that part. I am happy to make concluding remarks.

I am confident we can all agree it is essential that the Government continue investing in the public transport network. We will not oppose the motion. It has been a useful debate and people are supportive of the Government's commitment to deliver an accessible, affordable and reliable public transport network throughout the country. In the motion and contributions from Deputies, we heard about a range of challenges, but also the progress that had been made and the range of opportunities in public transport. There were record public transport numbers last year, which we want to accelerate. I believe we are all in agreement about wanting to provide a strong public transport network that serves the needs of all members of society in rural and urban areas.

As the House is aware, the Government is strongly committed to providing all of our citizens with reliable, realistic and sustainable mobility options, as outlined in the programme for Government. Public transport is key in the delivery of this goal and in enabling us to make continued progress with regard to our climate obligations.

On fares, the Government is committed to delivering an accessible, reliable and affordable public transport system for all citizens, including children. In the programme for Government, our commitments include the roll-out of contactless payments and keeping fares affordable. We saw the announcement of fairer fares, their implementation and an examination of the further expansion of free public transport for children. We have extended the 20% fare reduction and a 90-minute fare on public service obligation services until the end of 2025 so that everyone will benefit. We have also extended the 50% reduction available for young adults on PSO and commercial bus services until the end of this year. We are supporting new and enhanced bus and rail services as well. Further measures introduced this year include the extension of free travel for children from the ages of five years to eight years. Most recently, there was the roll-out of the NTA distance-based fare and fairer fares. The equitable fares strategy will result in significant reductions for many. We will continue to do that. It helps people to change their behaviours and habits, particularly younger people, if they get used to using public transport at an early age. It leads to them continuing to do that into the future.

We need to fund public transport services. We are focused on existing fare initiatives and service improvements such as BusConnects. I am pleased to say that tenders are in for three of the BusConnects corridors. At least one will start this year. Twelve are now through planning, approximately seven are being challenged and back with the board, and there are various other challenges, but we can start them as well. We are rolling out Connecting Ireland in rural Ireland to enhance factors such as frequency, accessibility and reliability. DART+, DART+ South West, DART+ West and DART+ Coastal North have come through planning. As Deputy O'Gorman will know, my predecessor in the previous Government, Eamon Ryan, oversaw the first significant batch of new rolling stock for our rail lines. It is being tested and commissioned right now.

I am committed to transport security. I have already advanced proposals within the Department as to what that force will look like and how it will operated. I will meet the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, as we also need input from the Department of justice. We will need primary legislation, so I will look for co-operation and assistance from the Opposition in that regard.

Many surveys have been published as regards customer experience. Broadly, people feel safe but there are pinch points and black spots. Those who do not use public transport, interestingly, have a worse perception of safety. It is stopping people from using public transport. People who do not use it have specific fears. We need more gardaí and visibility, which we are seeing. The transport security force can augment that. That has been well documented in passenger experiences.

Reliability was mentioned. I have raised in the House previously how people need to be able to be confident in the real-time data. It will improve over the next two years but there are, unfortunately, still situations, particularly on our bus network, with buses not showing up or disappearing from the app. As recently as yesterday, I had a complaint from my daughter about that very thing when two buses were cancelled. I have good engagement with the NTA. We have been able to find out issues around resources.

Next-generation ticketing was mentioned. The contract has been in place with Indra Sistemas since last year. It is complex; a new IT system is being built. The Leap card works well but we want that contactless system across all of the public transport network. The comprehensive governance model has been implemented to oversee the project. It is an important project and will come to fruition. I believe I mentioned to Deputy O'Gorman when he asked about it during our previous Question Time that the middle or end of 2027 was the timeframe. It will entice a lot more people onto public transport. It will be a better system than the system in Britain and will be account based as well.

Accessibility on public transport for disabled people is one of the matters I was discussing with Bus Éireann. We have done a lot of good work in this space.

It is a priority for me, too. We have seen Iarnród Éireann move, with the 15 hub stations where people with disabilities and mobility issues do not have to wait an outrageous 24 hours anymore. Now, if someone requires assistance, he or she will get it within an hour at most. The new rail cars that are being tested right now are all fully accessible using a ramp-to-platform basis. If one is in a wheelchair or is mobility impaired, it will make it much better. Our public transport system should be available to everyone regardless of physical ability or the physical impediments he or she might have.

The Taoiseach has established a unit within his Department that will focus on disability, reflecting our commitment in the programme for Government to a step change in the supports and services required by people with disabilities. It is fundamental that people can access public transport services, and we want to ensure that happens and improves. I will be engaging with that unit on the emphasis of addressing wider issues, such as ensuring that all public transport operators provide safe access to all passengers.

Great strides have been made with rural transport in recent years. We want to accelerate that. I have met Local Link as well. There can perhaps be better route designs, which has been mentioned during this debate, in linking up routes to other routes, but the numbers speak for themselves in terms of rural transport and how people are responding to it. It is an area that we will continue to accelerate.

There will be resource implications. When I say "resource", I mean drivers. From my meeting with Bus Éireann this morning, the five-year plan it will bring forward this year will probably require 1,000 extra staff in net terms. School bus services have been mentioned. That is somewhat out of my remit, but where drivers are concerned, we need to solve the issue of over-70s school bus drivers. The expansion of school bus places to pupils has been transformative, and there is more demand. There will probably always be more demand with a growing population. We want to get to a stage where we can make a step change and start to catch up with that demand.

On the all-Ireland rail review implementation, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, noted in his opening statement that work was ongoing with the EIB and rail stakeholders, both North and South, to consider how best to sequence the review's recommendations. That is a commitment in the programme for Government.

The national development plan, NDP, review will be important. Deputy O'Gorman has been through iterations of that in different budget discussions. Public transport is key. Indeed, transport is key to our citizens' quality of life, growth within our country, accessibility and connectivity. I am in the middle of the NDP review with the Minister, Deputy Chambers, on behalf of the Department of Transport. I am working hard in that regard to ensure we can get as many of the additional resources we require to continue to invest.

I fully recognise and emphasise the important role that public transport plays in all of our lives. I am acutely aware of a lot of the concerns that have been raised. There are a lot of very specific issues, which I will endeavour to have the Department respond to. I encourage Deputies across the House, regardless if they are in government or opposition, to reach out and make contact where there are specific instances and examples we can work on together.

I thank Deputy O'Gorman for tabling this useful Motion. It has been a constructive debate heretofore.

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