Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 April 2026
401. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Transport the measures being taken to improve reliability and journey times for commuters travelling from towns such as Athlone to Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28434/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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.
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. The contracts allow for not just the monitoring of performance and the publication of annual performance reports, but importantly, for the imposition of financial penalties, to reinvest into the network, in places where performance does not meet the minimum required standards, as well as reasonable incentive payments where performance exceeds those standards.
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.
