395. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Transport the steps being taken to combat antisocial behaviour on public transport services in Dublin city (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55516/26]

Anti-social behaviour is a broad societal issue, to which public transport is unfortunately not immune, and it is those passengers and staff who regularly use and work within our public transport network who are most directly impacted by any safety or security incidents that may occur on the network.

Across the network, all public transport operators are continuing to expend significant resources introducing measures to counter the impact of antisocial behaviour.

Dublin Bus has maintained its Safer Journeys Team, a mobile unit dedicated to enhancing safety on-board their fleet, covering North Dublin, South Dublin, and Central Dublin. The entire Dublin Bus fleet is fully fitted with CCTV cameras with up to eleven internal cameras and three external cameras fitted on the more modern vehicles in the fleet. Each vehicle is also equipped with a radio which facilitates immediate contact to a Central Control Centre. In cases of serious incidents on board a bus, central control co-ordinate with emergency services, such as the Gardaí and Ambulance Services, if required.

Security screens are provided on all vehicles for driver safety and should always be utilised for maximum protection. There are also emergency "audible alarms" in place onboard all Dublin Bus Vehicles which can be activated by driver and Emergency "silent alarms" which can be activated by driver to contact Central Control and takes priority over all other calls.

Iarnród Éireann has established enhanced joint protocols with Gardaí both nationally and locally, which have been implemented through Operation Fanacht. This has included the establishment of rapid response support hubs in 20 locations for Intercity services, with staff having direct lines to Gardaí for incident support. All onboard staff have dedicated phone numbers for each of the hub locations in the event they require assistance, meaning that should on-board staff request assistance by calling ahead to the next Garda Rapid Response Hub, they will receive priority service to deal with any issue. Additionally, for Intercity services, there are 1448 cameras and 138 cab cameras, with a dedicated monitoring team in place.

On the Luas network, cameras are in place on all platforms, and internally and externally on trams. Luas depots are also monitored by CCTV in the Luas Network Management Centre, where two CCTV co-ordinators manage the network systems. Transdev have a mobile app where Luas customers can communicate directly through the App with the operator’s control room and report an incident of anti-social behaviour as it is happening. The technology will allow the Luas operator to locate quickly where the incident is happening, and they will then provide the appropriate assistance.

Bus Éireann has invested in extensive CCTV coverage throughout its fleet for the protection of passengers and staff and driver security screens are fitted to the entire low-floor, single-deck, and double-deck bus fleet. All hubs are also monitored by CCTV.

All operators continue to have strong relationships with An Garda Síochána, who ultimately assist in supporting these incidences. The NTA organises an Anti-Social Behaviour Forum, which public transport operators and An Garda Síochána attend.

The Department of Transport continues to work closely with industry stakeholders to identify measures to improve passenger safety across the public transport network. And in this regard we have continued to hold a public transport safety working group, with representatives from the public transport operators, the commercial bus sector, the NTA, unions, An Garda Síochána, the Department of Justice, and passenger representative groups.

We will continue to engage with operators and unions on the matter, and will continue to work with all stakeholders to provide safe, sustainable public transport.

In addition, as Minister for Transport, I can assure you that my Department is actively progressing the necessary steps to deliver on the commitment to establish a Transport Security Force, in conjunction with the National Transport Authority. Considerable progress has been made in recent months, and this work remains a top priority for all parties involved. The introduction of this Force will require the development of primary legislation, which can have a significant lead time, but it will be expedited, with a view to making progress on its foundations during 2026.

This work centres on developing a well-considered and informed approach to identifying the most suitable model for the Transport Security Force. In this regard, a proposed model is currently under detailed consideration, with all key stakeholders fully engaged, including the NTA, operators, trade unions, passenger groups, An Garda Síochána, and the Department of Justice.

I fully support all the ongoing positive work to progress towards creating a safer public transport network for staff and passengers. In the meantime, we are committed to delivering a safe and secure public transport system, and we will maintain momentum on all fronts until the Transport Security Force is in place.

The query raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Dublin Bus. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Passengers are advised to please contact An Garda Síochána in the event of a serious incident occurring. They can be contacted at 999, or 112.