Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)

Will the existing private security go completely when the new transport police force comes in or is there a plan to run it concurrently? I am aware that the creation of something new like this requires legislation and a dedicated budgetary line. Nevertheless, the Minister took office in January 2025, and he is now talking about this service being operational in early 2027. That is a fair time but I do not think much beyond that would be. This is a doable proposition and something the Minister has been advocating for. It is important that timeline is stuck to closely. Due to the greater investment in public transport up to this point, at least, we have seen a very large increase in the number of people using our public transport network. If people feel unsafe, they will not continue to move in those numbers. The figures we both quoted here are concerning. They need to be addressed and I see this transport police force as a key element in doing so.

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