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Luas services to use the next generation ticketing technology, including contactless payments on validators. The NTA and Indra are currently planning phase 3, which is implementation across Iarnród Éireann's train services, and phase 4, which is implementation on commuter bus services in and out of Dublin … journeys. Obviously, we have the Leap card as well, which I use. In addition, the NTA's barcode-based app, TFI Go, already allows customers to buy a range of tickets for bus services outside Dublin, including on all Bus Éireann public service obligation services, Dublin commuter routes

million of funding for public service obligation, PSO, in my case was obtained through the Department for Local Link services, which represents an increase from the €613 million. However, we have been encouraging young people through the fare reduction, the young adult card on commercial bus services … better bus service across our cities, particularly in Dublin, for the people who use this service. The key elements of BusConnects in Dublin include the construction of segregated bus and cycling lanes, or core bus corridors, as well as a redesigned network of services. I am pleased

services in 2021. On the specific point raised in respect of the Leap card, the Government's new housing plan includes a strong focus on measures around homelessness and a key measure in the plan is a child and family homeless action plan. There was a public consultation … back to the Minister and Department officials the specific points of Cork, the Leap card and families experiencing homelessness. Furthermore, of the funding being provided, €513 million is current spending for homeless services this year. There is €50 million in capital to support delivery of high-quality transitional

general palliative care services in County Louth. Deputy Michael Murphy - To discuss serious non-compliance with road traffic legislation. Deputy Peter Roche - To discuss access to supports for persons with an end-of-life medical card. Deputy Shane Moynihan - To discuss enhancing public transport links between Lucan … misuse of e-scooter vehicles in urban areas. Deputy Pa Daly - To discuss the demand for suicide crisis assessment nurse, SCAN, services for young people in Kerry. The matters raised by Deputies Brabazon, Conway-Walsh, Butterly, O'Donoghue and Daly have been selected for discussion

provision of public health services. Currently, 3,243 GPs hold at least one contract with the HSE, including 2,608 GPs who hold a General Medical Services, GMS, contract for the provision of GP services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. As private practitioners

investment plan for transport, will help to provide a high-quality, connected public transport system for all passengers and help to alleviate congestion. Regarding services, an unprecedented funding allocation of €940 million for PSO services was secured in budget 2026, a significant 43% uplift in the allocation from … continued growth in PSO journeys. The number of journeys has continued to grow steadily and demonstrates how the public are taking positive steps in making the switch to using public transport. I would have to concur with Deputy Whitmore's comments. She is from County Wicklow

next generation ticketing. BusConnects was presented as a major transformation of our bus system, promising reliable services, better connectivity, more frequent routes and infrastructure that would finally make public transport a realistic option for more and more people. Many years after these commitments were first announced, many communities … should be absolutely acceptable to ask that passengers can get on a train or bus and seamlessly tap a bank card or their phone across the public transport network in a way that has become standard practice across many European cities. This technology is not revolutionary

also makes a vague commitment to improving access to emergency and routine dental care. When will this happen? Public dental care waiting lists are at breaking point. The medical card scheme is haemorrhaging dentists but one would not think it from reading the corporate plan. Where … purpose. A complete overhaul of the underpinning legislation and the medical card scheme is urgently required. They are relics of the past and must be modernised, not just modified. I also mention laboratory services, which get a passing reference in the corporate plan. However, there is no mention

followed through on. The dental treatment services scheme is 95% non-existent. There is just one dentist from Carlow providing this service in a community centre in Killeshin on the Laois-Carlow border. It is impossible for 95% of medical card patients to get treatment under the DTSS … public health system within 18 months but, of course, we are nowhere near that. This should form part of that. I acknowledge that extra dental training places have been put in place but it is key that these students are recruited as public dentists and then retained. There

particular, the public dental schemes. There is €230 million going into that per year. It is clear that we are not achieving what we need to achieve in terms of the schemes. It is clear that the dental treatment services scheme, DTSS, for medical card patients … money spent on services, recruitment agencies, etc. That €276 million was only for 11 months of last year. The HSE's records showed that this finance was spent on services such as administration, management, nursing, medical, dental, and paramedical services and supports, as well as maintenance and technical

sight problems. These services continue until a child reaches 16 years of age. In addition, the community ophthalmic services scheme, which has been in place since 1979, allows medical card holders aged 16 and over to access care from contracted ophthalmologists, community ophthalmic physicians, optometrists or dispensing opticians … that of consultant in medical ophthalmology to align with the national clinical programme for ophthalmology. Permanent consultant posts are advertised through the Public Appointments Service, PAS. This process can take time, and the HSE ran two temporary recruitment campaigns in May and September 2025 to maintain services

medical card or cutting public hospital parking charges in half for those who need them most. I want to address the Minister's speech. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and the Minister will not be surprised that I will bring up the community welfare service once again. I heard

respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation contracts, including Cork bus services. As Deputy Gould is aware, the NTA recently announced that from Monday 20 July passengers using Bus Éireann’s Cork TFI city bus services will benefit from faster boarding times and a simplified … onboard ticket validators also means that passengers can simply tap their Leap card and go, reducing boarding times and keeping services moving. This improves the overall reliability and punctuality of Cork city bus services. That said, it is disappointing to hear the Deputy’s presentation this morning, which

their service provision, cost and requirements. There is a strong commitment to and focus on ensuring that value, fairness and accessibility for all passengers is achieved. Looking at what we have done, we have made public transport accessible for people through the young adult card, the PSO uplift

transport services. The initiative is important as it both makes public transport more affordable for families and develops a familiarity with using public transport from an early age that will hopefully continue much later in life. The National Transport Authority, NTA, has advised that the card application process

However, I contend very strongly that this does not remove us from the responsibility to ensure there is accountability and probity in how public money is and was spent. People have become millionaires through the provision of IPAS accommodation and have built companies solely for this purpose … available. The Minister mentioned at the committee that there is now a rate card with regard to what will be paid for IPAS accommodation. He also signalled that this will not be made public. I am strongly of the view that the lack of transparency that

adult card scheme was broadened three years ago to include eligible services operated by commercial bus operators on an opt-in basis, with individual operators choosing to participate and the NTA compensating them for the agreed discount. We must encourage and provide for the continuation of public transport

Deputies. I, too, acknowledge the work done by the former Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, in developing and bringing forward more public transport initiatives and services and making them more affordable. I want to acknowledge this in the House. Coming back to the question on quarter … measures which will be effective, which we can afford and which will be rolled out. With public transport, we have seen a huge increase in numbers right across the different services. It is good news. It is a good story but we need to continue that to incentivise

public services. I am asking unions to get around the table and negotiate. We are ready. They should stand up and be counted. Sinn Féin should put money by for them or not bother coming in here with a budget that is built on a house of cards

services in north Dublin. Deputy Michael Murphy - To discuss actions to address growing road safety risks associated with horse-drawn vehicles on public roads. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú - To discuss supports for those with frontotemporal dementia. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the loss of medical card access

card. I spoke about the budget yesterday and I am just going to pick out a few things again. Maybe the hint for what has happened with this budget is captured in the words of the Minister, Paschal Donohoe, who said, "Our schools, our hospitals and our public … services are responsible for so much good in society." They certainly are, but that is not their function. Of course it is their function but is not identified as basic rights in a republic. We are talking about access to public health and access to a home

encourage the use of public transport and cycling as more sustainable forms of commuting. What is being proposed is the introduction of a new scheme that would allow employees to choose to assign part of their salary to pay for shared mobility services. Specifically, the sacrificed pay could … transferred to a virtual card account operated by an approved third-party commercial provider. Under this proposal, the sacrificed pay would not be subject to PAYE, USC or PRSI, while employers would benefit from reductions in employer PRSI. The actual operation of the ticketing wallet would be appropriate

waiting for the general medical services, GMS, contract to be sorted out through the HSE. I am happy to announce that once this is approved, the Rowlagh medical centre could have the capacity to take more than 500 new medical card patients, which will be fantastic … area. There is also a shortage of public health nurses in Dublin Mid-West, in the Rossecourt resource centre in Lucan, the Lucan health centre, the Rathcoole health centre, the primary health centre in Clondalkin, and the Rowlagh health centre. Newborn babies' brains develop more in the first

With next generation ticketing, there is much to take into account, since the scope of what it will deliver covers all public services, buses, trams and train stations, including bus validators, ticket machines, ticket vending machines, station gates, tram and train platform validators, and an account-based ticketing … solution delivered on modern cloud-hosting technology. It is important to note that it is not just a matter of giving somebody a card or going contactless. This is next generation ticketing and it will be used for a good number of years. It is not like

context of Sláintecare, and we have to set it in that context. That means we must start providing the proper dental health services that are available to everybody. It is like many other problems, including housing. There is no one thing that will fix any of it. There … Simon Harris, turned the sod in 2019. My understanding is the funding is being withdrawn. Only 10% of dentists work in the public dental health services. Even private dentists are saying that figure needs to be doubled. We need to double the percentage to have a representative number