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

Deputy Neville may have missed the final part of my answer. TFI has the TFI Go app in place, and we have Leap cards as an interim measure as well. The point is taken, however. Many of the resources will be used in implementing this new system. Obviously, some will be used to design it but most will be used to implement it. I have a more detailed breakdown of the major release phases. Phase 1, which, as I mentioned, is scheduled for summer 2027, will introduce a small number of new ticketing machines for a combination of bus, tram and train services. That is to test and improve the functionality of the validators. It is right and proper that this is done before committing to a larger scale development.

We then get to the major release 2, assuming the test phase of the major release 1 works well. This involves installing new validators, initially across the Dublin city bus and Luas networks. This will take some time to complete, which is fair enough, and will involve replacing all of the validators on 1,300-plus buses and approximately 400 validators across 69 stops in the tram network. I understand there is a complexity involved , particularly when you are keeping Leap cards, free travel and all of the existing measures in place, such as the TFI Go app and others I mentioned. You are introducing a new system while you are operating the existing one.

Effectively, you then move into major release 3, which brings in Iarnród Éireann, or Irish Rail. That is a separate release owing to the specific complexity of installing and removing station gates. This will involve quite a lot of physical work on our rail network. In major release 4, the NTA will extend contactless bank card payments and barcode tickets to commuter and other bus services in the Dublin commuter zone. There are four phases, as I have stated, and four different releases. I will be meeting the NTA on this to see if there is any way we can shrink the timelines. However, it is welcome that it will start in summer 2027.

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