Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 41: To ask the Minister for Transport if Dublin Bus will reach its target of having 60% of its fleet fully accessible to those with disabilities by 2006; if Irish Rail will meet its target of 50% full accessibility by 2007; if not, in either case, when these targets will be achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21202/05]

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Significant investment has been made to date under the national development plan, NDP, in acquiring new buses for Dublin Bus and new rolling stock for Iarnród Éireann. All of the public transport vehicles purchased under the NDP for the services of both companies have been specified to fully accessible standards.

Dublin Bus now operates 486 low-floor, wheelchair accessible buses, which equates to some 45% of its total fleet. A further 70 buses are on order for delivery later this year, at which point low-floor buses will constitute more than 50% of the fleet.

I am not aware that Dublin Bus has set a target of having 60% of its fleet fully accessible. My Department's draft outline sectoral plan under the Disability Bill 2004 provides that all new buses acquired by Dublin Bus will be fully accessible but does not set a percentage target. While the company is currently assessing its future fleet needs, there is a commitment that all purchases of new buses for Dublin Bus will be low-floor and wheelchair accessible as the fleet is upgraded in order to reach my desire of 100% of Dublin Bus fleet being fully accessible.

In my Department's draft sectoral plan there is a commitment that almost half of the rolling stock on InterCity rail services will be accessible by 2007. I am very confident that this target will be met. There are currently over 180 rail carriages and railcars on order for Iarnród Éireann, all of which have been specified to very high accessibility standards. This rolling stock will be brought into service between the end of 2005 and 2008. At that point practically all of the rolling stock providing InterCity services will be fully accessible for people with disabilities. DART and the other suburban rail services of Iarnród Éireann are already accessible for people with disabilities.