Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Transport when the full integrated ticketing scheme will commence; the estimated cost for developing and implementing integrated ticketing annually since its commencement; his views on whether 10 years for the roll out of this project could be considered a success; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45938/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Integrated Ticketing project is being introduced in the Greater Dublin Area on a phased basis, based on smartcard technology. A progressive approach is being adopted to allow customers to familiarise themselves with using the new system and to permit transport operators to undertake the necessary testing with the integration of the technologies involved. The project is now firmly in the implementation phase and extensive testing of elements of the system is already under way.

Subject to successful in-house testing, the single smartcard will be rolled out initially to a small number of Dublin Bus testers for live consumer testing of the Dublin Bus/Luas integrated annual ticket, and then to a small number of customers in early 2010.

The system will be progressively rolled out on Dublin Bus and Luas services, such that, by end-2010, smartcards with a "pay-as-you-go" function will be available to some 75% of public transport customers in the GDA. Private bus operators are also participating in the scheme and it is anticipated that a number of these operators, along with DART and commuter rail services and Bus Éireann on a pilot basis, will join the scheme by end-2011.

The annual capital cost of the integrated ticketing system since 2002 is as follows: 2002 - €0.349m 2003 - €1.866m 2004 - €4.852m 2005 - €2.410m 2006 - €1.528m 2007 - €1.499m 2008 - €4.760m 2009 - €6.176m (to end-November).

This expenditure encompasses project management, design and development costs and operator contributions for the development of the single smartcard.

Whilst progress in the delivery of the project has been slower than desired, good progress is now being made by the transport agencies in the delivery of this complex I.T. project. The project remains on target to deliver real and tangible benefits to public transport users on a progressive basis during 2010.