I propose to take Questions Nos. 443 and 514 together.
As 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 responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation (PSO) contracts, including the administration of travel passes and tax savers scheme.
Sustained investment in the PSO programme has driven record public transport use, with passenger numbers up 23% and continuing to grow in 2026, alongside an expanded network serving over 240 towns and villages.
More broadly, the Government remains committed to sustained investment in public transport to promote its usage, expand capacity and improve services over time, building on the strong growth in passenger numbers in recent years. We are investing significantly to support the progression of major public transport projects such as DART+, BusConnects, MetroLink and Luas extensions from planning through to construction, helping to deliver a more sustainable, accessible and integrated transport system. Approximately, every 1 in €4 is going to transport investment, with 1 in €8 spent on public transport. Overall, the NDP commits to investing funding of approximately €12 billion for public transport infrastructure over the period 2026-2030, including €2 billion for MetroLink.
In other measures the National Transport Authority (NTA) under its responsibilities within the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, made the decision to publish a new Fares Determination on 3 September 2026, with the revised fares taking effect from January 2027. This is a critical step in standardisation of the national fares structure and in line with the National Fares Strategy published in 2023.
Under the National Fares Strategy, fares are increasingly being based on clear and consistent principles, with journey distance becoming the primary determinant of price. The objective is that passengers travelling comparable distances should pay broadly similar fares regardless of where they are travelling in the country or which public service obligation (PSO) operator provides the service. This approach promotes fairness, improves transparency and simplifies the customer experience.
A significant milestone in this process was the introduction of a simplified fare structure in Dublin and now expanded to Cork, through the creation of the TFI 90-Minute Fare, which allows passengers to transfer between multiple public transport services within a defined period using a single fare, encouraging multimodal travel and reducing the cost of interchange. This represents a shift away from operator-specific pricing towards a customer-centred, integrated transport network.
The strategy is also extending beyond Dublin through the introduction of standardised fare zones and distance-based pricing on commuter and regional services. The establishment of the Dublin City Zone and Dublin Commuter Zone seeks to remove historical fare anomalies and increases that previously occurred at certain geographic boundaries. Passengers in growing commuter towns benefit from a more rational and predictable pricing structure that better reflects actual travel distance, therefore providing a viable alternative to the TaxSaver product, allowing for more flexibility for remote workers.
In recent years the Department of Transport and the NTA considered several options to improve the existing Tax Saver Scheme, particularly the possibility of introducing a monthly or annual ticket tailored to remote working patterns. However, when this approach was investigated, several barriers were identified, including high administrative costs, potential equity issues, and potential issues with the existing ticket validation system.
In line with the Programme for Government I am committed to making public transport as accessible and affordable as possible, while also ensuring that our system remains financially sustainable in the long term.
In light of the NTA’s responsibility in this area, and in order to provide further detail on the specific measures requested, 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.
