Increasing the cost of using public transport by an average of 15% is a political decision. It is happening because this Government refuses to invest in the National Transport Authority, NTA, in the expansion of the network and ultimately in its passengers. We now know this is only the start of the fare increases. The Government intends to raise them again and again. While Government backbenchers love the photo-op of opening a new bus stop, what people who stand at those bus stops need the Government to do right now is to demand that these fare increases are reversed and that they do not happen. The Government is making this decision during a climate emergency, when we should be doing everything in our power to incentivise the use of public transport, not disincentivise it. It is making this decision amid an affordability crisis where 15% will become 30%, which will become 50%. I have a very simple question: Will the Minister, her Cabinet and their backbenchers reverse this decision?

As the Deputy said, the National Transport Authority made the decision to publish the new fares on 3 September of this year, with the revised fares taking effect from January 2027. This was a really important step in standardising the national fares structure. It is in line with a strategy that was published back in 2023. Since 2022, we have seen inflation of almost 21%, which has of course driven up the cost of operating our public transport. The public transport network is not immune to this inflation, in the same way that people getting into their car and driving to work are not.

At the same time, in that period, we have seen costs drop, specifically by 20% in the cost-of-living fares reduction, the young adult card discount of 50% and the extension of free travel to children under nine, so we have seen reductions in costs for all people outlined there. It is about getting the balance right and being able to invest in the network to expand it so that more people can access it while also taking into account the fact inflation is impacting that sector. At all times, and to reassure the Deputy because we are all impacted by this and have significant public transport in our constituencies, we want to make sure it is affordable for people. All of this has to be kept under review and we have to make sure we are doing everything possible to ensure any of the changes and the €1.4 billion I mentioned are passed on to our public and private transport operators.