Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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674. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has concerns that DART users are being over-charged for the current standard of service they are receiving; if he has concerns that further increases in ticket prices will lead to fewer people being able to afford and use the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2385/14]

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)
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676. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason there are periods during rush hour where there are fewer DART carriages running than in other time slots; the reasons behind the 50 cent fare increase in December 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2419/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 674 and 676 together.

I do not set public transport fares. It is the responsibility of the regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), to adjudicate on applications from the CIÉ companies and the Railway Procurement Agency for fare increases or changes to fares.

In our dealings with the CIE companies, both Minister Kelly and I have consistently emphasised that they must reduce costs ahead of future fare increases or service cuts.  However, in the current environment, it is the case that fare increases will be inevitable if costs cannot be reduced sufficiently in order to maintain a reasonable level of service provision and protect our network.  It is important to remember that public transport remains heavily subsidised by the State and fares would be much higher if people had to bear the full cost of PSO services provided.

Over the past 18 months both Minister Kelly and I have monitored the financial situation in CIÉ and the subsidiary companies, including Irish Rail, to ensure a return to financial stability in order that they can continue to provide an essential service to the public. For the Deputies' information,  Iarnród Éireann has incurred accumulated losses of €130m in the past five years, a position which is unsustainable. 

My Department and the NTA are working with Iarnród Éireann to increase the efficiency and attractiveness of existing rail services.  The Government continues to provide substantial Exchequer investment in the rail network, in addition to subvention payments for Public Service Obligation (PSO) services.  There have been reductions in subvention in recent years due to pressure on the public finances but I will be proposing that there be no further cuts to the PSO subvention from 2015.

Through the NTA, my Department is also funding the use of smart technology to make public transport easier to access and more reliable for the user.  Significant progress has been made with the Leap card, Real Time Passenger Information, and the National Journey Planner which maps all public transport services across the country.  It is important to point out that significant savings can be made by passengers who choose to avail of the integrated ticket, the Leap card.  In many cases, passengers will be paying fares that are below 2011 cash fares when using the Leap card.

The use of Wi-Fi on trains and buses has also improved the transport experience.  The NTA will continue to progress these consumer-friendly initiatives which make using public transport more attractive.  The public transport experience has improved significantly and that is where we must target our efforts in future.  I hope that no further reductions in subvention, a stabilisation of passenger numbers as the economy improves and cost-saving measures in Iarnród Éireann will mean that future fare increases can be minimised.

Iarnród Éireann has indicated that it is in the process of implementing new energy saving fleet utilisation initiatives on its DART and Intercity services to generate fuel savings, which will reduce fuel and maintenance costs by €3.2m per annum. Concerns about overcrowding have been raised with the Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann and I understand that the company has already responded and re-introduced larger carriages to accommodate passengers where this has been considered necessary.  The Chief Executive has agreed to continuous monitoring of carriage levels on both DART and Intercity services to ensure they match passenger demand.

I am advised that carriages were only reduced at off-peak times. Overcrowding on DART services which has occurred at peak times was caused by other issues including technical faults, industrial relations and leaf falls. Iarnród Éireann has stated that full loading (involving standing by passengers) is the norm internationally on urban rail systems similar to DART and Commuter services and can be safely accommodated. The Railway Safety Commission (RSC) also met with Iarnród Éireann regarding DART services and is satisfied that corrective measures have and are being taken with regard to crowding on DART.