Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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255. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce multi-annual budgets for the CIÉ group to help better investment planning. [30656/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​Multi-annual funding for public transport is provided under the Government's Capital Plan.  Funding of €3.6 billion has been allocated for public transport in the Plan over a seven year period from 2016-2022.  Within this allocation, my Department provides capital funding to the CIÉ companies both directly and through the National Transport Authority (NTA).

In accordance with the requirements of EU law, my Department provides capital funding to Iarnród Éireann for the maintenance and renewal of the heavy rail network under the Infrastructure Manager Multi-Annual Contract (IMMAC). The current IMMAC covers the five-year period 2014-2018. Iarnród Éireann also receives capital funding, via the NTA, for heavy rail projects in the Greater Dublin Area as well as funding under the Accessibility Grants and Regional Cities Programmes.

My Department provides capital funding to the NTA for a rolling programme of bus replacement and refurbishment of the Bus Átha Cliath and Bus Éireann PSO fleets.  Funding is also provided to these two companies for accessibility projects and funding for Bus Éireann under the Regional Cities Programme.

In relation to services, the Deputy is aware that compensation is provided to PSO operators in accordance with their public service contracts entered into with the NTA. These current contracts relate to 5 year periods in relation to the CIÉ bus operators and a 10 year period in relation to Iarnród Éireann. Compensation is calculated in accordance with EU Regulation 1370/2007 and the relevant schedules to each public service contract.