Parliamentary questions

479. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the current status of the Luas tram procurement programme announced by Transport Infrastructure Ireland in August 2023; if a contract has been awarded; the stage the procurement is now at; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73877/25]

480. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the number of Luas trams ordered to date under the Luas tram procurement programme; the number of trams planned to be ordered in total; the number that will be replacement vehicles; and the number that will represent net additional capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73878/25]

481. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the expected delivery schedule for the new Luas trams, including the anticipated delivery date of the first tram; the phased delivery timetable thereafter; and the expected date on which the trams will enter passenger service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73879/25]

482. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport if any delays have arisen in the procurement, manufacture or delivery of the new Luas trams to date; if so, the reasons for those delays; the revised timelines involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73880/25]

483. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the plans in place for future ordering of additional Luas trams beyond the current procurement, having regard to passenger demand, projected population growth and planned Luas extensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73881/25]

484. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the contingency arrangements in place to maintain Luas services in the event of electrical faults or power supply failures, such as those experienced on the network in recent weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73882/25]

485. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport if Transport Infrastructure Ireland has assessed the resilience of the Luas electrical infrastructure; the upgrades or investments planned to improve system redundancy and reliability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73883/25]

486. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the options Transport Infrastructure Ireland has examined to allow Luas services to continue operating during electrical power failures, including the potential use of battery electric or alternative traction trams, onboard energy storage, or other technological solutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73884/25]

487. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the service continuity plans in place for passengers during major Luas disruptions, including the provision of replacement bus services, passenger information systems and communication protocols; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73885/25]

488. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the total projected cost of the Luas tram procurement programme, including associated infrastructure and electrical upgrades; the way this investment is being funded within the capital programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73886/25]

489. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the situation in relation to the use of Class I Urban vehicles on motorways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73889/25]

490. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he has received any legal advice in relation to Bus Éireann’s insurance policies in the event of a fatality involving a Class I ‘urban’ bus operating on a 100km/h or 120km/h road; and if he is aware that the regulatory exemption for seatbelts on these vehicles is predicated on the strict assumption that they remain in low-speed urban envi…

491. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he has concerns in relation to the practice of Bus Eireann in deploying Class I urban buses on Route 105X, which is an express service operating on motorways; if the RSA is aware of this policy in operating such buses on motorways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73892/25]

492. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he is concerned at the fact that Route 115 (Mullingar-Dublin), has recorded 459 instances of Class 1 urban buses being used on the high-speed M4 corridor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73894/25]

493. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he is concerned that the driver of a Class I urban bus is sitting in a vehicle with significantly less frontal crash protection than a coach; if such vehicles should be routinely used on motorways and roads with speed limits in excess of 65KMH; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73895/25]

494. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he will instruct the NTA or the RSA to conduct an investigation into the use of unbelted Urban class 1 bus vehicles on motorways and roads with speed limits in excess of 65kMH and the possible impact on the health and safety of the bus drivers operating such services as well as that of the passengers; and if he will make a statement on th…

495. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if following the tragic loss of six lives in bus related accidents since 1 November 2025, he will intervene to direct the National Transport Authority and Bus Éireann to immediately cease the deployment of taxpayer funded PSO buses classified as Class I urban vehicles which are mechanically speed limited to 65 km per hour and designed for lo…

496. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware that the National Transport Authority’s own Transport for Ireland Real Time Vehicle Location data also known as the Automatic Vehicle Location or GTFS Realtime feed publicly published by the Authority confirms that during the period from 1 January 2025 to 1 December 2025 these taxpayer funded PSO buses specifically models such…

497. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the number of complaints received by the NTA about issues relating to public transport, by means of transport, each year for the past five years, in tabular form. [73934/25]

498. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the number of complaints received by the NTA about F spine services in 2025. [73935/25]

499. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the number of complaints received by the NTA about S spine services in 2025. [73936/25]

500. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the percentage average of F spine buses that do not meet their schedule times. [73937/25]

501. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the number of buses that are contracted to provide services on the S6 and S8 routes; and if that number is in operation. [73938/25]

502. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of complaints that the F spine is overly circuitous, longer than previous services, and less accessible for commuters; and if a review of the F spine will be conducted to ensure that it is providing an adequate service for users and the date by which this review will commence. [73939/25]

503. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Transport when the new vehicle assistance scheme will be implemented to replace the existing disabled drivers and passengers scheme; when this new scheme will be available for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73948/25]