Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2025
219. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Transport the number of lost trips per month from January 2025 to date on services operated by a company (details supplied) in Dublin west including the W4, L52, 236, 238 and 270 in comparison to the overall number of trips on the timetable for each route, and as a percentage of overall services per route. [35412/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators, in this case, Go Ahead.
The performance of all public transport operators is monitored by the NTA as part of the contractual arrangements in place between it and the operators. These contractual arrangements allow for not just the monitoring of performance by the NTA and the publication by it of annual performance reports, but importantly, the contracts also allow for the imposition of financial penalties where performance does not meet the required standard. The NTA continues to engage with Go-Ahead to enhance service reliability and ensure continuous improvement.
I am aware that Go-Ahead experienced difficulties in maintaining service levels, particularly in the first quarter of this year, primarily due to a shortage of mechanics. In response, the company undertook a number of remedial actions, including flying in additional mechanics from its UK operations and securing further technical support from external sources.
I understand that the situation has since improved significantly, with fleet availability returning to normal within a relatively short period.
I can assure the Deputy that this Government is committed to delivering an accessible, reliable and affordable public transport system for all our citizens, including children.
In light of the NTA’s responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
