Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State is most welcome.

Mark Wall (Labour)
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I welcome the Minister of State. I also welcome the recent 20% reduction in fares, as I have done previously, and the introduction of the youth travel card. Both changes are helping commuters and will make a difference but, as we all know, more is needed. The reason I tabled this matter is to once again highlight the totally unfair, penal and discriminatory difference in train fare prices between train stations in south Kildare and train stations inside the short-hop zone.

I welcome the creation of a focus group by Newbridge Community Development in the past number of weeks to advocate for an extension of the short-hop zone. I have spoken with the group's spokesperson, Jennifer Caffrey, in recent weeks. I will continue to support it and her in every way I can. The group is continuing to put together data on why these prices are so wrong. Since 2018, the local Labour Party in Newbridge has run a campaign to change the pricing structure. We met with Anne Graham, the CEO of the National Transport Authority, NTA, and presented her with 8,500 signatures from commuters in the area who also want to see a change in the pricing structures throughout south Kildare. Since that meeting, I have continuously raised the issue with various Ministers with responsibility for transport, the NTA and the Government at every opportunity.

Hard-pressed commuters are bypassing Newbridge and other train stations in south Kildare and driving to Sallins station in Naas to avail of the short hop fares. Who can blame them? Many people save up to €200 per month by choosing to drive past their local station in favour of stopping at Sallins station or simply by driving all the way into the capital for work. As a result, the N7 has become a car park and the Government has had to propose additional parking spaces at Sallins and Naas station.

As I have said in the context of previous Commencement matters relating to this issue, it is the human story that paints the true picture. I want to bring a few of the stories to the attention of the Minister of State . One person tells me they moved to Newbridge and get the train from Newbridge to Connolly. They avail of the tax saver scheme, costing them approximately €185 a month, but they work with colleagues who commute from Sallins and their tickets are almost €500 cheaper per year, so they are thinking of driving to Sallins.Another message I received reads:

Thanks for continuing to raise this. I travel from Kildare to Dublin by car most of the time because it’s cheaper than the train - even with skyrocketing fuel prices. That’s insane. So much for a climate crisis

Another says:

I’m living just outside Newbridge and work in Dublin. I always got the train from Newbridge but became so frustrated that my friend who is one stop away in Sallins paid half of what I paid each year. I now travel to Sallins twice a week because it's far cheaper.

It goes on and on. I can give the Minister of State as many examples as he requires. I have been told that an NTA review of the short hop zone pricing structure compared with the pricing structure for other stations and how these differences are impacting commuters is under way. That is to be welcomed but the CEO of the NTA is also on record as stating that, if funding was provided by the Government and the Minister, the NTA would be in a position to fix the pricing structure straight away. We are in a climate crisis. We need commuters using public transport from their nearest train station in south Kildare. It is the same case for all adjoining counties from which people travel to the capital. It is time this issue was sorted once and for all. Commuters have spoken with their cars. We need the Government to provide the funding. I hope the Minister of State has good news for the commuters of south Kildare this morning.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Wall for his question. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important topic with Members of the House today on behalf of the Minister for Transport. I reassure the Senator that the Government is strongly committed to helping to combat the rising cost of living being experienced throughout the country. A cost-efficient public transport sector including affordable and accessible public transport services is vital to a functioning economy. In this context, a number of measures have been taken to ensure services remain affordable.

As the Senator noted in his contribution, earlier this year, the Government announced the introduction of an average fare reduction of 20% on all public service obligation, PSO, services until the end of 2022, with the Government allocating €54 million in Exchequer funding to support this initiative. The first phase of the fare reduction was rolled out to PSO services outside the greater Dublin area on 18 April before a nationwide roll-out on 9 May. These discounted fares are benefitting the hundreds of thousands of people across the country who use PSO public transport every day, including those based in County Kildare.

The fare reduction is funded until the end of this year but the funding allocation does not include an extension of the scheme to commercial operators. However, it has always been the Minister for Transport's intention to include these operators as part of a longer-term young adult card initiative announced as part of budget 2022. This initiative allows any person nationwide who is between 19 and 23 years old to avail of an entitlement to discounted travel costs and increases the level of discount over and above the current student discount to an average of 50% across all services including city, intercity and rural services. Mature students in full-time education are also included in the scheme as are eligible visitors to Ireland who fall within the young adult age cohort. This discount has initially been made available on all subsidised PSO bus, rail and Luas services but I am given to understand that it will then be broadened to include commercial operators with an expectation that this roll-out to the commercial sector will begin by the start of September.

It is clear that the young adult card will be of great benefit to this cohort of users and will not only promote modal shift in the transport sector, but should also contribute towards a reduced reliance on private transport with associated benefits. I have been advised that it is technically more challenging to roll out the young adult card on the commercial bus network than it is on the Leap card-enabled PSO network. However, the NTA is in detailed discussions with transport operators and the Department of Transport regarding the range of issues that need to be addressed.

The Minister for Transport has openly welcomed the deployment of both fare initiatives for 2022. The funding implications of the continuation of such initiatives into 2023 must be considered in the round along with all other funding asks. I am assured that the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, intends to work closely with the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, and other Government colleagues in the context of the 2023 Estimates process to see what can be done about supporting public transport services and the travelling public.

Mark Wall (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. As I said in my opening remarks, I appreciate what the Minister has done with regard to the forthcoming youth travel card and the 20% reduction in fares. Unfortunately, commuters in south Kildare will still be getting into their cars because doing so saves them €500 a year. In fact, some are saving €150 or €200 a month. I have some figures from the NTA for the Minister of State. They show that 23,458 adults bought tickets from Newbridge train station in 2021. This is an increase from 11,543 in 2016. We are using the train station in Newbridge but more and more people are using adult single tickets because it is too expensive to purchase other types of ticket. The Minister must look for this measure as part of budget 2023. I assure the Minister of State that the campaign will continue. I welcome the fact that commercial operators are also to be looked at and that funding will be allocated to them because many commuters from regions in south Kildare such as Athy take commercially-operated services to study in Maynooth, which is costing them a lot of money. It is important that the new measures be rolled out to commercial operators. I encourage the Minister of State to raise with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, the issue of climate and the fact that the commuters of south Kildare are still getting in their cars to travel to Naas train station, which is no good for anybody. I ask the Minister of State to bring that message back to the Minister.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for his remarks. I will of course bring his message back to the Minister. I have heard this issue raised by a number of colleagues. I heard the Minister, Deputy McEntee, raise it with regard to her constituency and area. There is no question but that there is an issue there, which the Senator has very clearly highlighted today. Obviously, there is the 20% reduction. The Minister is very firmly committed to extending that into 2023 and to seeing what other measures can be taken.