I move: That Dáil Éireann: acknowledges as hugely positive: — the increase in public transport usage in recent years and, in particular, the fact that over 1 million public transport journeys are now taken each day; — the reductions in all public transport fares that were introduced in April 2022; — the additional reductions in public transport fares for young adults between 19 and 25 via the Young Adult and Student Card, which was introduced in 2022 and extended in 2024; and — the roll out of additional Local Link services since 2022, which has seen a five fold increase in the number of people using these services, with 100,000 journeys taking place on Local Link services every week; notes that: — further reductions in fares, balanced with investment in capacity, will bring even more people onto public transport; — a focus on continuous improvement in passengers' experience is now critical to further growth in public transport usage, in particular efforts to improve timetabling and eliminate ghost buses, ease of access for all, easier contactless ticketing, and real, accessible customer service when something goes wrong; — transport remains one of the most urgent sectors of Ireland's carbon emissions to reduce; — the All-Island Strategic Rail Review outlines economic, social and climate benefits for both Ireland and Northern Ireland; — the Connecting Ireland rural bus programme has transformed public transport use in rural Ireland, connecting communities for the first time and delivering regular, frequent services; and — people with disabilities or with a mobility impairment continue to face unacceptable obstacles to enjoying equality of access to public transport; further notes: — the Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland's Future is completely lacking in measurable commitments in terms of the amount of additional funding envisaged, and timelines by which the public transport commitments in it will be achieved; and — that public transport needs to be affordable, accessible, convenient, connected and safe, and that this will require sustained multi-annual investment from central Government to achieve; and calls on the Government to commit to: — a further reduction of 20 per cent in public transport costs for all, across the lifetime of this Government; — establish a new Public Transport Passenger Experience Office, which will work to diagnose and deliver solutions on issues in the current provision of public transport and advocate for the rights and experience of passengers, this office will provide timely information to passengers, particularly where a service is delayed or cancelled, and which will enhance the accessibility of services for passengers with a disability; — pass the legislation, and provide the necessary funding, to ensure that the Transport Security Force is established and operational by Quarter 4 of 2026; — complete the rollout of the contactless fare payment system in 2026; — a €10 billion increase in capital for public transport in the National Development Plan review; — ensure the full implementation of the Connecting Ireland rural bus programme, expanding on current levels of services and working towards an "every village, every hour" bus service; — achieve 150,000 journeys per week on Local Link services by Quarter 4 2026; and — outline in the Revised National Development Plan those recommendations of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review that the Government plans to deliver by 2030. I thank the Minister of State for attending. The Green Party believes that a focus on continually improving the experience commuters and passengers have on our buses, trains and light rail is absolutely critical to further growth in public transport usage. Too often, the stories of being late for work because two services did not connect, standing at a bus stop and seeing numerous services appear on the real-time app and then disappear, listening to someone loudly doomscrolling TikTok in the seat beside you, or feeling menaced on a late evening train carriage when another passenger decides to act up, when shared by word of mouth and put up on social media, undermine confidence in our public transport services. They are a disincentive to people making the change in the way they travel. These stories are effective in doing so because all of us who take public transport have experienced the same situations; we can relate to them when they are reflected back to us. The programme for Government contains a lengthy section on transport and a significant number of worthy commitments on public transport. However, it is completely lacking commitments in terms of the amount of additional funding that will be committed or timelines by which the public transport commitments will be met. There is not a deadline in sight in the programme for Government. The absence of anything measurable has real consequences. Where there are no clear timelines being worked to, it lessens the pressure on agencies, Departments and Ministers. I know the Minister of State will agree from his own experience that, without constant pressure from the top, no major reform in this country will ever succeed. With this Green Party motion, we seek to fill that gap. We are including eight important commitments, with key measurements around them. At the heart of each of these commitments is the belief that we owe commuters a duty to improve their experience on our public transport systems. I welcome that the Government is not opposing this motion and that the Dáil will agree these eight commitments at the end of this debate. These eight commitments are not an exhaustive list addressing every challenge faced by public transport, but if they were achieved in the lifetime of this Government, they would make a meaningful difference to commuters all over Ireland, urban and rural, North and South. Ultimately, our goal must be to build a first-class public transport system that gives every person on this island a service that works every time. The benefits that flow from that, in terms of emissions reduction, reduced air pollution, more sustainable communities and healthier people, are all well known. Commitment No. 1 is to a further reduction of 20% in public transport costs for all across the lifetime of this Government. At a minimum, the new Government needs to guarantee that the cuts to public transport fares that were introduced in the previous Government will be maintained. We will be watching that closely in budget 2026. However, the Government needs to go further. We know that public transport users are price sensitive. Let us continue to make the use of public transport as affordable as possible for commuters by continuing to cut fares. Commitment No. 2 is to demonstrate that the Government is serious about tackling ghost buses, inadequate information about cancelled services and the hoops that users with disabilities have to go through in order to be able to access a train by establishing a new public transport passenger experience office. This would be a division within the National Transport Authority to diagnose and deliver solutions on issues in the current provision of public transport. It would also advocate for the rights of passengers. Commitment No. 3 is to pass the legislation and provide the necessary funding to ensure that the transport security force is established and operational by quarter 4 of 2026. This means starting to provide funding for it in this year's budget, that the legislation would need to be introduced in September or October of this year and that drafters would be put under pressure, but there is widespread agreement that we need to improve the perception of safety on our public transport services, so let us deliver that now. Commitment No. 4 is to complete the roll-out of the contactless fare payment system in 2026. We all recognise that the lack of a contactless system, whereby one can pay with one's card or phone, leaves Ireland way out of line with most European countries. The Minister of State and I have discussed in the House the significant contract that has been signed with a private company, but I am worried about the lack of timelines. The situation as currently envisaged does not provide a clear line of sight on the delivery of this ambitious and expensive project, and that is why I argue it is essential that we put an ambitious, but doable, timeline into these commitments. Commitments Nos. 5 and 6 are linked, and they relate to the Local Link services around the country. Due to the investment provided by the Green Party in the previous Government, these have seen huge growth in recent years. The number of passenger journeys have grown fivefold on Local Link services, from 20,000 journeys in 2022 to 100,000 in 2024. We believe that, with continued investment and prioritisation, we can continue that upward trend and grow it to 150,000 journeys by the end of 2026. We want the Government to set this ambition for the completion of the Connecting Ireland rural bus programme and work towards the concept of an every village, every hour bus service. That opens up new options for people living in rural Ireland and gives them real choice in how they plan their journeys. Commitment No.7 is probably the easiest. We have already completed the all-island strategic rail review. What elements of this does the Government plan to deliver by 2030, which is the end of its term in office? The strategic rail review lasts up to 2050, but I know from my engagement with Irish Rail that it has big plans. It is ready to deliver on significant projects if it can be assured that the budget is there for them. This is specific to the Minister of State's remit, so I would love a clear list of what he intends to achieve in his term of office. The final commitment - No. 8 - relates to that key issue of budget. If we are serious about improving the commuter experience, we have to invest in it. What is currently allocated to the Department of Transport under the existing national development plan will not be enough to deliver all the big transport projects as well as the other transport projects within the programme for Government. That is why the Green Party advocates for an additional €10 billion in the review of the NDP to public transport projects - €7 billion from the Apple receipts and €3 billion from the surpluses. This sort of investment will make sure we can deliver key large-scale public transport projects. I will give the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, a little illustration of the commuter experience. I was getting the 7.34 a.m. train in from Castleknock this morning. The train did not arrive. There were horses on the track between Hansfield and Clonsilla. It happens. I found that out on the Irish Rail Twitter feed. We had an announcement on the station's intercom but nobody could hear it because of the noise of a train engine idling over on the other side. No one knew really what was going on. I had to make the call as to whether or not to go the No. 39 or the No. 37 bus. Each of the apps was telling me a different time for the different buses. I took the risk went for the No. 37 but as I was walking to get it, the No. 37 went sailing past and I missed it. When I arrived at the bus stop the real-time machine there was not working. Another No. 37 arrived and Dublin Bus got me in half an hour later. Again, it is not the end of the world but these are just a small few additional stresses that were added to every commuter who was taking that particular route this morning. These are stresses that could be resolved with a greater focus on the experience that public transport users have. When I talk to commuters and to passengers, they talk glowingly about their service, about their bus, and about their train, when those services work. They recognise it when they see additional services being laid on by the public transport companies. Too often they have another feeling, however, which is a feeling of being abandoned. They feel abandoned by the bus that did not turn up. That wrecks a person's morning, being abandoned by that real-time display that bears no reality to the buses arriving and departing and by lifts that are not working or where there are no staff to provide a ramp when a passenger has mobility issues. We have got to make this a thing of the past. We have got to build confidence in our public transport system. It must work all the time and for every single passenger. These eight commitments are about putting measures in place. They are ambitious but I put it to the Minister of State that they are absolutely doable in the lifetime of this Government. If the Government does manage to undertake and complete these commitments, it will show that it is serious about public transport.

Sentiment score: 0.10

I thank colleagues across the House for their contributions on this debate. I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, for attending. Last year, we saw public transport usage grow to 1 million passengers per day, which was an important milestone to pass. This shows the success of the measures that were taken in the previous Government, led by a Green Party Minister, to encourage people to take the bus, the train and light rail. I am pleased that the Government is not opposing this motion, but what I am taking from the Minister's agreement to it is that the Government sees these eight commitments as being achievable in the lifetime of this Government. On behalf of the Green Party, I will be holding the Government to account on achieving these commitments. However, something I was disappointed by in the speeches by the Minister and Minister of State was that, while they were very nice speeches, there was a lack of specifics and measurables in terms of when key commitments will be achieved. The Minister spoke with some passion about the transport security force. In my motion, I set out a timeline to have the legislation passed and the force up and running by the end of 2026. That is 18 months away. I think that is doable.

Sentiment score: 0.33

It will need legislation. I am on the transport committee and am happy to work on that legislation, but we need clear commitments on when we will actually get these things done. Similarly on the issue of next-generation ticketing, I suggest the end of 2026 to have that implemented by. The Minister of State's speech spoke of taking a number of years. The Minister has now given us a date of the end of 2027, which I welcome. That is important. We have already committed €149 million to Indra Sistemas. That is a lot of public money. I do not think the idea of it happening "in the next couple of years" is good enough. I welcome the fact that we have an end of 2027 deadline in terms of the achievement of next-generation ticketing. One thing I was struck by in the contributions from Deputies across the House was how many raised the improvements in rural transport through Local Link and town services. For far too many people living in rural Ireland, public transport simply is not an option. That is why, in the previous Government, the Green Party prioritised the Connecting Ireland rural bus programme. We know that Local Link bus services are a key lifeline in many communities, particularly for those who simply do not own a car. The roll-out of additional Local Link services since 2022 has created a fivefold increase in the number of journeys taken. There were 20,000 Local Link journeys taken in 2022, but 100,000 in 2024. That is a huge improvement. Connecting Ireland has transformed public transport in rural Ireland. It is connecting many communities, some for the first time, and giving regular and frequent services. This is not just about moving people. It is about breaking down barriers, ending isolation and ensuring elderly people have those options available to them. At the centre of the proposals in my motion is the need to improve the commuter experience. Too often, passengers in Ireland face ghost buses, inaccurate information about arrivals and departures on transport apps, broken real-time monitors and inflexibility in how they pay their fares. The Minister will have heard Deputy after Deputy speak about how ghost buses in particular are undermining public confidence in the transport system. The Minister did a nice little TikTok himself about it a couple of weeks ago. We have called on the Government to set up a public transport passenger experience office. That will ensure accurate information is provided to passengers, particularly if a service is delayed or cancelled. It will ensure a revamping of the entire real-time system because it is not working. The different apps tell people different things. It will improve services for people with mobility challenges and people with disabilities. I note what the Minister said about the consolidated contact centre. I see that as progress but while its role is gathering data from the public transport companies themselves and analysing that, what we need is something for the passenger when he or she has a problem. We do not have that at the moment. What is there at the moment is not accurate and is not important. I note the improvement in stations where there is only a one-hour notice period for people with disabilities and the improvement to the 15 stations, but we all recognise that there is a job of work to do. The Minister recognised that in his own contribution. Affordability is key. We know that public transport users are price sensitive. It is important that the overall cuts in public transport fares that were introduced by the previous Government be maintained, as they are important cost-of-living measures. I heard what the Minister said about that. What I am disappointed about relates to my call for a cut of at least another 20% over the lifetime of this Government. The Minister was fairly uncertain on that particular point. Funding for public transport services is focused on existing fare initiatives. That is not ambitious enough. The Government should be looking across four budgets to be taking another chunk off the cost of public transport for commuters because when we do that, they will respond and move onto our services, particularly as capacity grows over the next number of years. Let us reward commuters and make it as attractive as possible for them to make that move. I welcome Deputy Canney's outlining of the project prioritisation strategy for the all-Ireland strategic rail review. I know we had to cancel statements on it today, but I hope we will have an opportunity to discuss the all-Ireland strategic rail review. It has major potential for linking parts of the country that have been isolated and neglected for far too long. It has a major North-South element. In order to deliver some key projects in that review, the NDP review, as the Minister said, is absolutely central. The Green Party calls for an extra €10 billion to be allocated to the Minister's Department over the course of the next five years to 2030. Major projects, including the DART upgrade, metropolitan rail in Cork and Limerick, the western rail corridor, gluas in Galway or the metrolink in Dublin, will not be developed with the current allocation for the Department, given the other transport priorities he has outlined. Deputy Feighan spoke clearly about that. I hope the Minister is fighting as hard as possible for an increased capital allocation. The Green Party of course opted to table a motion on public transport as it has a direct consequence on our carbon emissions. We know that transport is one of the areas where we are not getting on top of reducing emissions. We also accept that ordinary commuters are not thinking about that on their way to work every day. On a dark winter morning in Blanchardstown when it is raining and the bus flies by a bus stop because it is already full or a family is taking to a trip from Athlone where everyone has to stand on the train because what was marketed as a five-carriage train only has four carriages, there is a daily pain that people experience in terms of being late because real-time information on the app was not correct. All of this weighs on people's patience and time. People are simply thinking they want a public transport system that actually works for them. Due to the irritation people experience, they often perhaps do not recognise the improvements that are taking place, to which many Deputies have referred. While the significant increase in capital investment is needed, the penny has to drop in the Department and the NTA that passenger experience is of critical importance to public confidence in and satisfaction with the delivery of the infrastructure and to get them moving. That starts with the Minister. I hope he is able to follow through on the commitments we have discussed today.

Sentiment score: 0.12