Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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44. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department will consider accelerating proposals for a 24-hour public transport system in Dublin inclusive of the Luas, DART and trains; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8208/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators.

The Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. To support this objective, under Budget 2024, a funding package of c. €613.463m has been secured for Public Service Obligation (PSO) and Local Link services. This package includes funding for the continuation of the 20% fare reduction on PSO services, the extension of the Young Adult Card on both PSO and commercial bus services to include 24- and 25-year-olds, and the continuation of the 90-minute fare until the end of 2024. Funding has also been secured to support the continued roll-out of new and enhanced bus and rail services this year. This includes the continued roll-out of the BusConnects programme, Connecting Ireland and new town services.