Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to improving public transport and is backing up that commitment with significant infrastructure investments across the network.

In light of the NTA’s responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.