Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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29. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department has considered extending the young adult Leap card to those aged 26-30; the cost of extending this scheme by each additional year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34768/25]

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 responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation (PSO) contracts.

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.

Budget 2025 also included the measure to extend free child fares on PSO services to children aged 5 to 8 years old.

Therefore, funding for public transport services is focussed on existing fare initiatives and service improvements such as BusConnects in the five cities, expanding town services in the larger towns, and rolling out Connecting Ireland in rural Ireland, in order to enhance factors such as frequency, accessibility and reliability in attracting and retaining users.

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.

Under the Programme for Government, our commitments include the roll-out of contactless payments, keeping fares affordable, and examining the further expansion of free public transport for children.

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 young people.

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.