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

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for developing an accessible, integrated and sustainable public transport network. The NTA also has national responsibility for integrated local and rural transport, including TFI Local Link services and the rollout of services under the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan. The NTA works with the public transport companies, for example Bus Éireann, who have responsibility for the operation of services.

From a policy perspective, there are a number of strategies and plans which seek to progressively make public transport accessible for wheelchair users, including in regional towns. These include the Sustainable Mobility Policy, Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy, the Climate Action Plan, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the Programme for Government.

I am fully committed to strengthening public transport offerings and progressively making them accessible for all, especially for disabled people. We are progressively making public transport accessible, including in rural areas, by ensuring that new infrastructure and services are accessible from the start, and retrofitting older (legacy) infrastructure and facilities to make them accessible. The Public Transport Accessibility Retrofit Programme is managed by the NTA and, amongst other initiatives, funds the construction of wheelchair accessible bus stops in regional towns nationwide.

One of the most significant recent developments in rural and regional areas is Connecting Ireland, which the NTA began rolling out last year. During 2022, 38 new and enhanced services were launched, while 67 new or enhanced bus services are proposed for 2023, strengthening existing services and connecting more towns and townlands across the state. These services build on the existing TFI Local Link network of services for people to travel from local towns and villages. Over 95% of TFI Local Link services are wheelchair accessible. Furthermore, NTA has a programme of work to introduce new and enhanced town bus services, including for example, the new Carlow Town services to be introduced this month.