Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being here. It is really appreciated. It will not be a surprise to anybody listening in or to anyone in the Chamber, including the Minister of State, that I am speaking about the issue of public transport in Kildare. The population in Kildare has grown in a huge way in the past years. Many people who live in Kildare travel to Dublin for work and for other reasons. It is hugely important that we have the whole area of public transport right. I refer especially to the short hop zone that currently exists. Sallins is just over 10 km from Newbridge yet here is a minimum 57% differential between the price of someone travelling to Houston Station in Dublin from Newbridge and from Sallins. As a result, people in Newbridge and from the far side of Newbridge are bypassing Newbridge station. They are driving on the roads at a time when we are trying to encourage people to actually use public transport . They are travelling on to Sallins where the second car park is now full and people are trying to find other spaces. This is all because we do not have equity of pricing when travelling from Newbridge and from Sallins.

A motion I tabled in this House for extending the short hop zone, although it does not have to be in that name, to 50 km was accepted unanimously. As the Minister of State is aware, this has become Fianna Fáil policy. I am aware he is committed to this. I thank him for meeting with me, members of the community, public representatives and members of the lobby group that came together in relation to commuter strategy in order to try to ensure equity and fairness in the context of prices. A commitment was given by the National Transport Authority, NTA, that a fairer strategy on fares would be forthcoming. Initially, this was going to be in July then we heard it was going to be mid-September. It is now mid-October. People need to make decisions about whether they will buy annual tickets, and they will do so in the context of travelling to Dublin. It is very important that the announcement I expected to have been made at this stage is made in order that we have clarity in respect of costs. That is very important, not just for people who are working but also for students. In saying that I absolutely do want to welcome the extension of the 50% reduction in fares for students and that it is extended to those aged 23 to 25. It is really important, along with the other 20% reduction. Going forward, we must know the pricing and how that is going to work for the people I represent.Along with that, of course, we need to have rural transport and urban transport linking in with our trains. At the moment we do not have a town bus. For people living on the other side of Newbridge, it is a 3 km walk or drive. For many people there is then the problem of getting up and taking car parking space. There is obviously a cost to that element also. We need a transport system which will connect people with our trains and with the service we provide.

Also in rural areas like at Athgarvan, Suncroft and Rathangan, they need to be able to access a type of public transport in order to get in and to use the public transport fares, be that bus or train. I appreciate the Minister of State's attendance here and I hope that he has some news for us with regard to the clarity which both myself and those I represent in south Kildare are looking for. I thank the Minister of State.