Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 123: To ask the Minister for Transport the status of plans to introduce integrated ticketing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36306/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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A smart card for public transport services in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) is now available on Luas and Dublin Bus services. In recent months all buses in the Dublin Bus fleet have been fitted with smart card validators. Smart cards are now in use on these buses in respect of a number of ticket products such as annual and monthly bus tickets, as well as integrated annual and monthly bus and rail and bus and luas tickets and 5-day rambler tickets.

From late next year, a smart card will be introduced for ticket products on Dublin Bus and Luas services which will also have an electronic purse capability for use on both services.

This system will then be extended to Irish Rail DART and commuter rail services within a further 12 months, and to Bus Éireann on a pilot basis on a number of its commuter routes. It is also envisaged that private bus operators will join the scheme over this timeframe.

The new gating systems at Irish Rail stations in the GDA have also been designed to handle the new smart card.