Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 July 2026
253. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Transport to provide a detailed breakdown of the funding allocated to make public transport more accessible in each of the years 2020 to date, respectively, broken down by cap ex and op ex funding, in tabular form. [50747/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.
From a policy perspective, there are three aspects to improving public transport accessibility - ensuring a universal design approach towards all new infrastructure, addressing legacy infrastructure deficits and providing supports for independent travel on the networks.
From a funding perspective, new public transport services and infrastructure are accessible from the design stage. Accessibility features, such as wheelchair access and audio/visual aids, are built into all new public transport infrastructure from the design stage. Newer systems such as the Luas are fully accessible. This means that for example, all capital (capex) funding for new projects and current (opex) Public Service Obligation (PSO) funding for services contribute towards making public transport accessible.
The real challenge in making transport accessible for disabled people is our legacy infrastructure, for example Victorian era train stations. The ring-fenced Accessibility Retrofit Programme was specifically developed to fund the retrofitting of such older inaccessible public transport to enable disabled people to travel independently. I'm pleased that I have been able to increase the funding allocated under the Accessibility Retrofit Programme by 67% in 2025 and 2026 as compared to 2024. The Programme, is managed by the National Transport Authority (NTA).
The allocations for the Accessibility Retrofit Programme for the years 2020-2026 are set out below
2020 - €7m
2021 - €9.8m
2022 - €15.35m
2023- €18.2m
2024 - €15m
2025 - €25m
2026 - €25m
Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 and the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009, the Oireachtas assigned statutory responsibility to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network and public transport infrastructure. The NTA in turn works with the relevant public transport operators, for example Irish Rail, who have responsibility for day-to-day operational issues, to progressively make public transport accessible.
