Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for her Commencement matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important topic.

I want to clarify that the Minister has responsibility for policy and overall funding as regards public transport, but neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public transport services nationally rests with the National Transport Authority, NTA. The NTA works with the public transport operators, which deliver the services and have responsibility for day-to-day operational matters.

That said, I reassure the Senator that the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options. Public transport clearly plays a key role in the delivery of that goal.

To support that objective, under budget 2024, a funding package of €613 million has been secured for public service obligation and Local Link services. This package includes funding for the continuation of the 20% fare reduction on PSO services, the extension of the young adult card on both PSO and commercial bus services to include 24- and 25-year-olds, and the continuation of the 90-minute fare until the end of 2024. Funding has also been secured to support the continued roll-out of new and enhanced bus and rail services this year.

As part of the programme for Government, we committed to review existing fare structures to ensure that public transport is as accessible as possible, supports the delivery of services and incentivises off-peak travel.

In its capacity as fare regulator, on 27 April 2023, the NTA published a new national fares strategy. Following that, on 18 January 2024, it published the first of a series of fares determinations related to the strategy. The Senator's question is about the timeline for the implementation of this fares determination and, in particular, when those living in areas such as Kildare and Newbridge can expect to see a roll-out of the new Dublin commuter zone and a reduction in their fares.

The most significant change in this year's fare determination is the implementation of an initial phase of the national fares strategy on Dublin commuter bus and rail services. This will deliver more consistent and equitable fares and reduce the disparities which currently exist for some passengers, particularly in the outer commuter towns surrounding Dublin. The Dublin commuter zone to which Senator O'Loughlin refers will extend from the outer edge of the Dublin city zone to approximately 50 km from the centre of Dublin and includes areas such as Naas, Kildare and Newbridge. The Dublin commuter zone fare is designed to ensure that the cheapest fare is made available for passengers and will help to alleviate boundary issues between the national and city fare structures. For example, for a journey from Newbridge to O'Connell Street, passengers will benefit from the flat-fare element within the city facilitating longer distances of travel at a cheaper fare. For journeys entirely within the Dublin commuter zone, the standard national fare structure will apply.

The Senator asked about the when. I am advised that it is expected that the new fare structure will come into operation on the Dublin commuter services by the end of quarter 3 of 2024. In the interim, the existing fare structure will continue to apply.

This fare determination represents the first step in delivering the national fares strategy, and it is the NTA's intention to roll this out further across the country in future determinations in the months ahead.