245. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Transport the current and projected passenger demand being used by the National Transport Authority and Iarnród Éireann for transport planning in Newbridge and the wider South Kildare area; and whether existing rail services are considered sufficient to meet that demand. [67740/26]

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 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.  As Minister for Transport I continue to engage with the NTA on an ongoing basis in relation to maintaining high operational standards on all forms of public transport.

In light of the NTA's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days