Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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105. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide data on the number of people who have availed of free fares under the various fare reduction schemes; the cost of such schemes; the budgetary allocation in 2025 for free fares for children under nine years of age; his plans to extend this to commercial bus operators in 2026; and if he will comment on the effectiveness of these schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27973/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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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 the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation, or PSO contracts. This statutory responsibility supports the implementation of agreed Government priorities.

I can assure the Deputy that this Government is committed to delivering an accessible, reliable and affordable public transport system for all our citizens, including children. Under the Programme for Government, our commitments include the rollout of contactless payments, keeping fares affordable, and examining the further expansion of free public transport for children.

The Department of Transport secured €658.442 million in Budget 2025 for funding for Public Service Obligation (PSO) and TFI Local Link services (an increase from €613.813 million in 2024). This includes funding for the continuation of the 20% fare reduction on PSO services, the Young Adult Card on both PSO and commercial bus services, and the 90-minute fare until the end of 2025. Universal free transport for all would require an additional c.€786m in exchequer funding annually before considering increased demand.

Budget 2025 also included the measure to extend free child fares on PSO services to children aged 5 to 8 years old. The NTA is working to develop and implement this change, with the new scheme expected to launch in Q3 of this year. This targeted initiative is designed to help with the cost of living for families and encourage children to start using public transport from an early age.

Furthermore, the NTA has recently introduced a new, distance-based, zonal fare structure in the Greater Dublin Area. This move, aims to makes fares equitable, more consistent, and easier to understand, with significant reductions for many commuting from outer areas, aligning prices more closely with distance travelled.

I want to assure you that I am committed to making public transport as accessible and affordable as possible, while also ensuring that our system remains financially sustainable in the long term.

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