97. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Transport the expected timeline for the roll-out of contactless fare payments on all public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34135/25]

Sentiment score: 0.01

We have seen the extension of contactless fare payments in cities such as London, Edinburgh, Barcelona and Milan, as well as in the Netherlands. I am looking for the expected timeline for the roll-out of contactless fare payments on all public transport.

Sentiment score: 0.14

The Minister has announced extremely positive news here this evening that is extremely welcome. It would be great to see a breakdown of the timelines. What do we need to do in order to get to the first phase in the summer of 2027? Is there a need for procurement of IT systems? Are particular systems for buses, etc., required? It would be great to see the routes included in phase 1 as well. Would it be possible to expedite those later phases? We have to wait until the summer of 2028 for phase 2. Phase 3 relates to Iarnród Éireann and phase 4 relates to commuter buses. Obviously, the vast majority of people who commute to Dublin, particularly from Kildare North, do so by bus or rail. If we could get a breakdown to ensure we meet those timelines and to see if they could be expedited it would be very beneficial.

Sentiment score: 0.26

As I said, this is extremely positive news. It is great to see such a development. Indra Sistemas, which is carrying out the work, has done similar work previously in an international context. Are there any binding milestones built into the contract? The reason I ask is because there are four phases, which is excellent, and we can see clear steps to achieve the overarching aim, but the priority should be to ensure that everything is delivered on time and within budget. Could we get an understanding of the contractual arrangements with Indra Sistemas? It goes without saying that there are more vulnerable users, older people in particular, who would like to continue to use cash. It is important to ensure that option is still available for those people and for those who prefer to use cash. I thank the Minister for his work on this. It has been a priority for him, and it is great to see progress here so far.

Sentiment score: 0.37