David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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198. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the cost for investment in public transport to make it accessible for persons with disabilities in 2018 and 2019; the funding for this purpose allocated for 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21375/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.

Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network.

Accessibility features, such as wheelchair access and audio/visual aids, are built into all new public transport infrastructure from the design stage. Newer systems such as LUAS are fully accessible. However, there are legacy issues in relation to older infrastructure and facilities, for example our Victorian era railway stations.

To address these infrastructural legacy issues, my Department funds the Accessibility Retro-fit Programme which is managed by the NTA. The four year capital envelope for public transport announced in Budget 2018 included a multi-annual allocation of almost €28 million for the Accessibility Retro-fit Programme for the period 2018 to 2021. This ring-fenced €28m in funding is a trebling of the previous allocation for accessibility under the Capital Plan.

The annual allocations under this four year Plan are €4m in 2018, €7m in 2019, €7m in 2020 and €9.8m in 2021. This funding facilitates the continued roll-out of the programmes outlined above to progressively make public transport accessible. This includes the installation of accessible bus stops, the upgrading of train stations to make them accessible to wheelchair users and the provision of grant support for the introduction of more WAVs into the taxi fleet.

In addition to funding under the Accessibility Retro-fit Programme, in 2020 a ring-fenced rail lift refurbishment / replacement programme was established by the NTA under the Capital Programme, with funding of €3.3 million in 2020. The programme is to renew and replace life-expired lifts and lifts in poor condition, to ensure that the reliability and availability of lift access. Similar funding is envisioned for next year.