Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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1414. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated spend on the public service obligation in each of the years 2018 to 2022. [36559/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​As the Deputy is aware the allocation for Public Service Obligation (PSO) public transport services is subject to the annual Budgetary process and as such future allocations are yet to be determined. In Budget 2017 I secured an 11% increase in the total amount of funding available to support the delivery of PSO services. That means that a total of almost €263 million will be allocated in 2017 to support the delivery of these socially necessary but financially unviable services.

I will of course be engaging with Ministerial colleagues as Budget 2018 is developed and PSO subvention is one relevant area of expenditure which will form part of that engagement. I have already committed publicly, both here in the House and in the Joint Oireachtas Committee, to further increasing PSO funding levels in the future as resources allow. It is of course also an area which requires careful scrutiny to ensure the taxpayer receives value for money in respect of the services delivered given the considerable expenditure incurred.