Marie Moloney (Labour)

I will be quick. The price of a return ticket from Kerry to Dublin or vice versa is €72, while a single ticket is €68.50. If we are serious about promoting tourism in this country and making public transport user-friendly, we need to address this issue straightaway because it is a disgrace and deters people from travelling. I know the tickets are cheaper online, but not all commuters have access to a computer when they are travelling, especially tourists.

Another issue is fines for the use of student tickets on trains. If a person is found travelling on a student ticket without a student travel pass, he or she is fined €200 plus the price of upgrading the ticket to a non-student ticket. However, the killer blow is that the ticket is confiscated from the person, which necessitates the purchase of another ticket in order that the person can return home. It is totally user unfriendly, so to speak. I ask the Minister of State to address this issue in his own time.