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deliver the services and that have responsibility for day-to-day operational matters. The NTA also has statutory responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation, PSO, contracts. However, unlike PSO services - where the NTA sets … monitors, and regulates fares - services operated by commercial bus operators fall outside this remit. Fares on services run by commercial bus operators are determined independently by the operators and are a purely commercial decision. That said, I assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to delivering

funding gap and, as a result, commuters who are already crippled by rising rents and the cost of living are going to face fare hikes. I want the Minister to commit to retaining the reductions in public transport fares as part of this year's budget. Earlier this … year we were warned by officials in the Department of public expenditure that key infrastructure projects would not be delivered without increasing fares, but now we hear that services will be cut also. If the Government is trying to reduce carbon emissions and get people onto public transport

This year, the NTA introduced a new distance based zonal fare structure for the greater Dublin area. This move aims to make 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 acknowledge … possible. The Minister for Transport has met, and will continue to meet and listen to, the representatives of the commercial operators. While fare initiatives have delivered clear benefits for passengers, they also carry financial implications, emphasising the need to balance affordability with long-term sustainability of the public

under-nines to include and involve commercial bus operators. It aims to build on the Department of Transport's expansion of the fare reduction scheme introduced in recent years. If we are to have equity, equality and fairness, it is essential that this modest but impactful extension would … Power in 2024. It was commissioned by the Coach Tourism & Transport Council of Ireland. The report highlighted that unequal application of fare supports is creating an uneven playing field between public service operators and licensed commercial operators. Extending free travel to under-nines on commercial buses

urban commuters, yet is undermined by outdated policies and unequal treatment. Let us start with the unfair exclusion of commercial operators from public fare reduction schemes. This has created a two-tier public transport system. Passengers who rely on private operators, many in rural and urban areas … from a competitiveness perspective. This is not the situation at present as a result of the unequal and unfair application of the 20% fare reduction scheme to customers of NTA-licensed public transport services. If this is not addressed, it will further undermine the sustainability of commercial

been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Grace Boland - To discuss the national fare structure for train fares announced by the NTA. Deputy Erin McGreehan - To discuss the distribution of the shingles vaccines for the over-66 population. Deputy

right that after the deployment of next generation ticketing, the NTA will be moving from simply doing oversight to directly managing fare collection, system operations and having regulatory oversight? Does this give rise to a conflict of interest between the various roles, particularly when it comes to disputes

expansion of the fare scheme to include commercial operators, specifically the inclusion of commercial operators in the free public transport initiative for the under-nines, is a must as we go forward. We cannot have a two-tier system, which will lead, if it continues, to private

James Geoghegan - To discuss preventing judicial reviews of critical infrastructure projects. Deputy George Lawlor - To discuss the inclusion of commercial bus operators in fare reduction schemes. Deputy Pa Daly - To discuss the reopening of Rattoo Round Tower, closed for 15 years for maintenance works by OPW. Deputy Louis

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the steps being taken to simplify fare structures to ensure equity train and bus fares, in particular for those commuting to and from Dublin Commuter zone 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51534/25

Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Transport the measures being considered to mitigate the impact of fare increases on students and young adults following the recent fare zone restructuring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51551/25

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport the steps being taken to simplify fare structures to ensure equity train and bus fares, in particular for those commuting to and from Dublin commuter zone 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52161/25

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Transport for an update on the Programme for Government commitment to "roll out contactless fare payments on all public transport" [51712/25

Keogh asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has conducted an impact assessment of the recent changes to the Dublin commuter zone fare structure; and his views on the socioeconomic implications for commuters in Zones 2, 3 and 4; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Transport the plans for the €2 fare which was introduced as a cost-of-living measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51496/25

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Transport if he will extend free fares for under nine year olds to private transport operators. [51563/25

Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he will abolish public transport fares as a cost of living, air quality and climate action measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51850/25

Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Transport the amount of Leap card fare revenue collected in each year since 2022 across all TFI services, in tabular form. [50637/25

Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Transport his plans to extend the Leap card fare system to areas like Mullingar, and beyond, in order to deliver fairer and more affordable access to public transports to people outside of Dublin; and if he will make a statement

with the National Transport Authority and Íarnród Éireann to extend the Leap card system to Mullingar, Edgeworthstown and Longford stations given the significant fare discrepancies that currently exist for commuters; if he will acknowledge that this situation places an unfair financial burden on these residents of Mullingar, Longford

starting 18 August and route 255 Kinsale to Cork west on 25 August; the integration with Cork BusConnects corridors and TFI 90-minute fare policy; and the metrics for first-last-mile connectivity in rural Cork for bike parking and on-demand links. [45423/25

asked the Minister for Transport to urgently address the situation for commercial bus operators (details supplied) and allow for the expansion of free fares on State-run bus services for children under the age of nine years from September 2025 to be extended to commercial operators (details supplied

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has engaged with commercial bus operators and considered their inclusion in future fare reduction schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47259/25

Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the amount of Leap card fare revenue collected in each year since 2016 across all TFI services in respect of credit on cards that was expended on public transport journeys, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement

year since 2016 broken down by year, in tabular form; to provide a breakdown by ticket type if available and the amount of fare revenue raised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47344/25