Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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365. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has signed off on the business case for the National Transport Authority’s next generation ticketing project; if not, when a decision is expected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48243/25]

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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366. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the assessment his Department has made of the value for money of the next generation ticketing project; if an external assurance process was undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48245/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 366 together.

My Department is responsible for the Infrastructure Guidelines, which replaced the Public Spending Code in December 2023. These set the value for money guidance for evaluating, planning and managing Exchequer-funded capital projects. The management and delivery of individual investment projects and public services within allocation and the national frameworks is a key responsibility of the respective Departments and Ministers.

Next Generation ticketing was included as part of the Approval Gate 1 submission of Bus Connects to the Major Project Advisory Group in January 2022, of which the report issued in February 2022. This was subsequently approved by Government. The Department of Transport has ultimate responsibility for the Next Generation Ticketing project and its approval and appraisal processes under the Infrastructure Guidelines. My Department has no approval role for individual capital projects under the Infrastructure Guidelines. Any projects costing in excess of €200 million require Government approval.