Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)

I welcome the Minister of State. The last time I raised this matter, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, was here. The question was around Leap cards and it was specific to Millstreet and Banteer stations in north Cork. While I received an answer, it had nothing to do with the question I asked. It talked about Kent and Midleton stations, neither of which is a concern for me or my constituents, to be honest. I raised the issue of the accessibility and use of Leap cards from Millstreet Station to Cork city as well as an issue with regard to trains at Banteer Station. At the time, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, asked how many students were affected and I said I would do a survey, so I did. I got the survey results, and what they revealed was staggering, although it was something I already knew. I did the survey across the Duhallow area to gather data on the lived experience. The response was overwhelming and I am happy to share it with the Department and officials.

I will highlight the key findings from the survey. A significant majority of the respondents – the vast bulk of them – travelled to Cork for college, apprenticeships or post-leaving certificate courses at least four days per week. Many reported that Monday is the most difficult day of the week because there is no early train to Cork from Banteer or Millstreet stations, with options either being far too early or too late. Students told me they are regularly missing their 9 a.m. lectures on Monday despite having perfectly workable transport options from Tuesday to Friday. Some students reported paying for accommodation on a Sunday night purely because they cannot rely on the Monday morning train.

Importantly, several families noted that without Leap card access at Millstreet Station, the cost of train travel is pushing students into cars and adding both financial and traffic pressure. These are not abstract complaints. Rather, they are real obstacles that young people in rural Ireland face every single day. My question to the Minister of State is this. Will the Leap card boundary be extended to Millstreet Station? It sits just outside the Leap card zone, which is unfair and illogical. Students in neighbouring parishes receive discounts and subsidised fares while families who use Millstreet Station have to bear the full cost of the same journey. Extending the Leap card to Millstreet Station is a simple administrative change which would have a substantial impact.

Will the early train from Banteer to Cork be reintroduced? From Tuesday to Friday, the 6.50 a.m. train gets students to Cork in good time for their 9 a.m. lectures. On Monday, however, that service disappears. The alternatives are totally unworkable. The 5.32 a.m. train, which does not even stop in Banteer, arrives in Cork far too early and the 8.15 a.m. train, which arrives at 9.15 a.m., is far too late for students. Not a single student who responded to the survey said that the timetable on Monday works. There is a demand there for students. The service exists on four other days of the week, from Tuesday to Friday, but does not exist on Monday.

Essentially, I am asking that both of these issues, namely, Leap card access and the missing Monday train, be addressed. I am asking for clarity and a commitment for the students because it is unfair that because they live just a little bit outside the Leap card zone, they have to pay the full fare. We cannot access Leap cards in the area. This issue relates to my constituency but the same issue affects rural areas in different constituencies. Some clarity on that would be great.