I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

recognises that:

— public transport is an essential public service and should be affordable and accessible to all;

— investment in public transport is critical to fairness, social inclusion, balanced regional development and reducing emissions; and

— the best way to increase public transport use is to make services more affordable, reliable, accessible and more widely available;

notes that:

— households, workers, students, pensioners and families continue to face significant cost of living pressures, with rising costs across housing, energy, childcare and everyday essentials;

— the Government has chosen to increase the cost of public transport for those who rely on it, and at a time when fuel costs are spiralling out of control;

— the National Transport Authority (NTA) has acknowledged that increasing fares will result in fewer people using public transport;

— affordable public transport helps to reduce household costs, tackle transport poverty and help workers and families cope with the rising cost of living; and

— commuters are being asked to pay higher fares while continuing to endure unreliable and overcrowded services, including so-called "ghost buses" that simply fail to turn up, leaving workers, students and families stranded and out of pocket;

further notes that:

— the Government has prioritised pay rises for public transport chief executive officers in conjunction with fare increases for commuters;

— this Government have failed to provide adequate funding to the NTA to both expand services, and maintain affordable fares;

— despite repeated promises, the rollout of improved public transport services has slowed significantly, with concerns raised regarding delays to the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan and promised rural transport improvements;

— communities across rural Ireland continue to experience poor connectivity, inadequate services and a lack of viable alternatives to private car ownership;

— this failure comes amidst repeated examples of waste, mismanagement and spiralling costs within the transport system, including the write-off of approximately €50 million arising from a failed public transport Information Technology project;

— affordable, reliable and accessible public transport delivers significant social, economic and environmental benefits by reducing congestion, lowering emissions, supporting regional development and connecting people with employment, education, healthcare and social opportunities; and

— free public transport for children and young people would ease financial pressures on families, increase mobility, improve access to opportunities and encourage lifelong use of public transport; and

calls on the Government to:

— immediately cancel all planned public transport fare increases;

— introduce free public transport for all children and young people under 18 years of age;

— provide adequate funding to the NTA to ensure affordable fares and expanded services are delivered together;

— deliver better, more reliable and more frequent bus and rail services;

— accelerate investment in rural public transport and fast-track the expansion of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan; and

— improve accessibility across the public transport network so that it works for disabled passengers, older people, families, rural communities and all users.

Families and workers across the State are being hit by surging costs from every side. From the soaring cost of energy to higher grocery bills and childcare, households have no reprieve. They are living from week to week and they need a break. However, instead of making life easier, the Government is piling on yet another cost at a time when household budgets are being stretched to breaking point. This is utterly wrong. The Government must reverse the planned fare hikes. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael must deliver on something that successive governments have been short on for decades, which is the political will and ambition to deliver an affordable, accessible transport system fit for purpose in a 21st century Ireland. Due to a lack of investment, workers, students, pensioners and families are already struggling with the soaring cost of living but the Government has decided the solution is to make public transport even more expensive. People are already paying for overcrowded services, delays, cancellations and routes that were never delivered. It is outrageous that the Government expects ordinary people to pay more while CEOs have their salaries topped up, millions of euro are wasted on failed projects, and costly overruns are tolerated without consequence.

The Minister will say there were no fare hikes since 2016 but there were plenty between 2008 and 2016. Also, unspent money that comes in from the carbon tax could be used to facilitate no fare increases. The Government's priorities are completely wrong. The Taoiseach says he wants a budget for people who get up early but instead of helping those same people the Government is hitting them with higher fares.

Let us be clear: this is not just about reversing these fare hikes. We should be asking a bigger question of what type of public transport we actually want. Sinn Féin believes that public transport should be affordable, reliable and accessible. It should facilitate people accessing work, education, healthcare and social opportunities, and it will reduce emissions, tackle isolation and strengthen communities. That is why we are calling not only for the fare hikes to be scrapped but for free public transport for all under 18s. No child should miss out on education, sport, opportunities or community activities because the family cannot afford their fares. Free travel for children and young people would put money back into families' pockets, tackle child poverty and, crucially, encourage sustainable travel from a young age. We are also demanding more reliable bus and rain services. If people are paying into the system, they want a service on which they can rely.

Finally, disabled passengers should not have to fight barriers every day simply to use a bus or train station. Public transport must work for everyone, regardless of disability, age or where they live. Accessibility is not an optional extra; it is a basic right.

Hear, hear.

The decision to hike the cost of public transport fares is a deeply short-sighted move. Every day, thousands of commuters are forced on to overcrowded and often unreliable services. From January, these people are going to have to pay more to get to work, school, college or to go about their daily lives. Public transport is an essential public service, not a luxury, and in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis the Government is telling people the cost of yet another everyday essential is going to rise. This fare hike decision makes no sense. It stands in stark contrast to the massive pay rises handed out to the CEOs of transport companies. At a time when the Minister claims to be encouraging more people to use public transport, he has decided to increase the costs of services. Even the NTA has said passenger numbers will fall as a result.

This fare hike is totally within the Minister's control. He could have decided to properly fund our public transport system but instead he has decided to lob yet another price increase on households. This is clearly the wrong move and he knows it. This motion is an opportunity for him to acknowledge that the proposed fare hikes are a mistake and that they will reduce passenger numbers. The Minister must act to stop these fare hikes. He must ensure the State's public transport system is properly funded in order for it to be affordable, reliable and sustainable.

The Government is also failing when it comes to investment in rural transport. I raise with the Minister once again the long-promised Athenry to Galway bus service. When I raised this with the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, last week he spoke of the need of "not just doing things for the sake of doing them." That was an outrageous statement to make when the Minister knows there is clear demand for a bus service in Athenry. I have repeatedly raised the case of commuters in Athenry being squished on to morning train services, with nothing to even hold on to, and passengers fainting because of the cramped conditions. We were promised this service two years ago and all we have got is dismissive comments. The people of Athenry and other rural towns deserve better. They deserve effective public transport links, not an attitude that tells commuters to put up and shut up. Once again, I urge the Minister to provide the necessary funding to get the Athenry bus service up and running. It is badly needed and we have been left waiting for too long.

Of all the short-sighted, tone-deaf announcements that have been made by this Government, and there are many, this one is right up there. I genuinely did a double take when I read it. I thought that in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, surely not even a government as bad as this one is going to jack up the cost of public transport, yet that is apparently what it is proposing.

The Minister well knows that the people in my constituency who get the train in either Balbriggan or Skerries were left out of the Dublin commuter zone, meaning they have already had a fare increase. I spoke to a woman the other day who told me that the fare increase for her is close to €1,000 every year. That is an awful lot of extra money for one person to have to pay to then be told by the Minster that she has not had a fare increase in eight years. She has, and she really could do without another one. In fact, the Minister should be reversing the decision because we have towns in Meath and Kildare in the Dublin commuter zone, while towns in my constituency, Skerries and Balbriggan, have been taken out of it. Will the Minister make that make sense?

For no additional service, people are going to be asked to pay more money and that is not acceptable. The Minister knows the ongoing issues with the 101 and 103 bus services. Frequently, the bus does not arrive. I have a list of excuses as long as my arm but the Minister has already confirmed, and the NTA has as well, that this increase is not going to result in a better service for those people because it is not going to result in enhanced services. It is on a standstill basis. Equally, the people who get the 33 bus in the mornings are now very familiar with ghost buses. I spoke to a woman the other day in Lusk, who told me she is on a final written warning for work because she is consistently late. It is not her fault. She wants to use public transport. In fact, the Minister says that he wants people to use public transport but if someone lives in Balrothery, that involves standing on the side of the road while full buses pass them by every morning before they eventually get on a bus. For that service, the Minister is going to charge people 15% extra. It absolutely beggars belief.

The Minister knows, and the NTA has told him just in case he does not, that when fares are increased it decreases the number of people who use public transport. This is going to result in fewer people using public transport. As I said, will the Minister please make it make sense? He knows that the sensible thing to do is to reverse these hikes and put Skerries and Balbriggan into the Dublin commuter zone where they belong.

At a time when families are struggling with the cost of living and this Government keeps telling us that it is listening, I have to ask, who is it listening to? Is it listening to ordinary households or to the big CEOs? While families are struggling with the cost of living, we have seen huge pay increases for CEOs and now we are seeing transport fare hikes that in some cases will see fares for children increase by over 100%. That is not fairness and is not putting people first.

As someone who uses public transport, I have experienced standing in all sorts of weather for a bus that simply does not show up. In Clare, a largely rural county, people are expected to put up with a lack of bus services, an unreliable service and now they are being told that they need to pay more for it. That is unacceptable.

Students are already struggling. Many who cannot find accommodation because of the Government's failure to provide enough student housing are commuting long distances just to access education and are now being asked to pay even more on top of the enormous costs already associated with their education. What message are we sending to young people?

Families are struggling to put food on the table. Parents are doing everything they can to keep households going and children are watching this and asking if that is what they want for their future. The National Youth Council of Ireland has highlighted that seven in ten young adults believe they would have a better quality of life if they left Ireland. These are not young people simply saying that they want to travel, explore the world and come back. They are telling us that they could have a better life somewhere else and that is shameful.

Public transport is not a luxury; it is a necessity. People should trust that their bus or train will arrive and that they will be able to afford to get on it. It should never be a barrier to education, work, medical appointments or to simply participate in ordinary, everyday living. We have a Government that talks about expanding public transport while failing to put in the resources to put it in place. The Ennis town bus route was meant to be up and running in early 2025 but will not be in place until, hopefully, mid-October of this year.

I am calling on the Government to cancel these planned hikes and to be more ambitious by giving free public transport for every child and young adult under 18.

We are here this evening to try to appeal to the Minister to ensure that these transport hikes do not go ahead in circumstances where across the country we have so many people who simply cannot get public transport in the first place. For example, I was with Irish Rail earlier, and we talked about the commuter service into Sligo town where the earliest train in the morning gets in there at ten o'clock. There is no train for people going to appointments, work or college. Irish Rail says that it has put in place the plan for it but the NTA has no money to provide for it this year.

We have a similar situation here. It is 6.20 p.m. but the next train leaving Dublin to go to Sligo is at seven o'clock. Most people who work in this place cannot get away until long after that and have not got an option. Similarly, the trains are at five o'clock and seven o'clock. There is none in the middle at six o'clock, so people are waiting for hours for it. It is no wonder that people continue to use the only transport they have which is the car. That is what we have to do here and so many people around the length and breadth of the country are in the very same situation.

To be putting hikes on the cost of providing transport when in many cases it is not there is simply untenable. In a situation where we are trying to get people out of the car and are appealing to them to use public transport because we have the carbon crisis we talk about, we cannot have a situation where the Government continues to raise the cost of it.

It makes no sense whatsoever in the midst of a cost-of-living squeeze and crisis that the Government would add to people's woes and increase transport costs. There is no justification for it. A 10% increase is a significant additional burden for people who are already finding it very difficult to deal with other rising costs, as the Minister well knows. A government should not be adding to people's stress and problems. The point has been made that we all want to make sure that people have alternatives to the car, for example. We know from all of these proposals in relation to climate action that more investment in public transport is necessary to ensure that the Government and this State meet their climate action targets, which I am afraid we will not because it is always the same. We set these high-level targets and then we do not put the investments in and do not provide people with alternatives, particularly in rural Ireland.

I want to raise two issues in relation to capacity in Waterford city and county. I raised the BusConnects service with him earlier. It just beggars belief that there is so much confusion around that. We are being told that this project could be delayed for up to a year and nobody knows exactly what is happening. I have put in parliamentary questions and still have not had a response. I would appreciate if the Minister could get the Department to come back to me in relation to exactly what is happening because this will mean more bus routes, more connectivity and more options. I was dealing with a parish priest in Waterford city last week who held a public meeting on an issue relating to parents who find it difficult to drop their children off to school because there are no drop-off points. They were using a church car park that can no longer be used. It makes no sense. The priest says that BusConnects is part of the solution.

I have one final point. Waterford City and County Council are waiting for 11 bus shelters for a year and half. What the hell is going on?

They have not.

They are saying that they cost €30,000 each and are coming from Sweden. I have been asking questions and raising this with some of my council colleagues, Councillor Joeanne Bailey being one who has raised this at a council level. We cannot even get bus shelters that are on order. It just makes no sense. The Department needs to get its act in order and deal with these issues rather than hiking up charges.

When it comes to transport this Government and the Minister seem to be entirely without any direction at all. The carbon tax, which is supposedly a behavioural tax, is intended to change people's behaviour. The Government's carbon tax is supposed to encourage people to switch to electric cars and public transport, never mind that some people cannot afford electric cars. It is not a viable option.

In communities like mine in Cavan and Monaghan, public transport is not a viable option either. It is very sparse. Buses frequently run late and students cannot access school transport. What we do have, however, are viable commercial operators we are very fortunate to have in Monaghan. They have been excluded from schemes that deliver reduced fares, such as those for young adults and children. Sometimes a solution for rural Ireland might be found later, and much later at that, with rural people being the afterthought they are to this Government. With regard to rail, for all the talk of an all-island strategic rail review, perhaps my grandchildren might actually see a railroad in Monaghan some day because the Government has put that on the long finger too.

Plenty of money can be found to support transport CEOs, and the Government can find €500 million yearly for school transport for Bus Éireann, yet this Government thinks that we should pay more to access what little unreliable public transport it has to offer us.

I have very little confidence in this Government to deliver public transport for rural people but for the love of God, could the Minister please not make it worse? Scrap the hike now.

Public transport is essential public infrastructure. It connects people to work, education, healthcare, family and community. This debate is not simply about what a bus or train ticket costs but what kind of transport system we want to build for the decades ahead. The Government should reject further increases in public transport fares and instead begin a serious transition towards a universal, free public transport system as a public good. That would require investment and sustainable public funding. We should also recognise the wider costs of our current transport system which include congestion, pollution, high household transport costs, social exclusion and the enormous amount of time that people lose sitting in traffic.

Making public transport affordable is only one part of the challenge. We also need a massive expansion of capacity. The State must accelerate investment in rail and public transport infrastructure right across Dublin. MetroLink is an important part of that investment but ambition cannot stop there. Communities across the south and south west of the city and county have waited long enough for high-capacity public transport. We need a clear plan for MetroLink south west, with the route, funding, planning and delivery programmes established without further delay. We cannot be serious about climate action without reducing congestion or giving people a genuine alternative to the car. Equally, we cannot be talking about delivery some time in the future. We should set ourselves a clear objective to make MetroLink south west a reality this side of 2040. A public transport system should allow people to get to work, schools, hospitals and communities without having to choose between making that journey and paying another bill.

The recent decision to hike fares by 15% is baffling. For some of my constituents in Kildare those increases will be closer to 20%. This will mean a €290 annual increase for Newbridge commuters and a €545 annual increase for Athy commuters. These are huge increases at a time when families are already struggling with rising energy, grocery, education and insurance costs. This decision is completely out of touch with reality. Access to public transport is essential for workers, students, older people and those attending hospital appointments or social events. Travelling by bus or train should not be a luxury but these fare increases are pricing people out of public transport.

Customers of Irish Rail and Bus Éireann certainly do not feel like they are experiencing luxury when travelling aboard these services. Day in and day out I hear from commuters in Newbridge, Kildare town, Athy and Monasterevin about overcrowded trains, with dozens of passengers regularly forced to stand in carriages. We need more capacity i gCill Dara. We need earlier morning services and later evening services for those returning from work, events and concerts. I know students in Carlow College who regularly have to leave their classes early in order to catch the train back to Kildare. We need accessible and reliable services and a booking system that works. We need Kildare to be fully recognised as a commuter zone. We need better connectivity for our rural areas in both north and south Kildare. Kildare is one of the fastest growing counties in the State but there are no significant service improvements planned. Kildare passengers will see no tangible benefit from these fare hikes. They are simply being asked to pay more for the same unsatisfactory service. It is maddening.

South Kildare campaigners and the fair fares campaign fought so hard to have our towns included in the short-hop zone and this decision essentially undoes all of that progress. The decision will force more people onto the already congested N7, increasing traffic, commuting times and emissions. The irony is that these developments came during mobility week. The Government speaks about the importance of sustainable transport and reducing car dependency but in reality, this Government and our transport providers are actively discouraging public transport use in the middle of a climate emergency. The Minister needs to wake up and get serious about delivering affordable, reliable and sustainable public transport for all. This retrograde decision must be reversed.

I move amendment No. 2:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"affirms Government's efforts to:

— deliver a more frequent, reliable, accessible and sustainable public transport network;

— rollout contactless fare payments on all public transport, and keep fares low and affordable;

— place the Public Service Obligation (PSO) programme on a more sustainable footing;

— support households and businesses through addressing congestion; and

— work to address Ireland's climate targets;

notes that:

— the Government is committed to the delivery of major public transport projects, as evidence by last year's review of the National Development Plan (NDP) allocation of €24.3 billion to transport projects from 2026 to 2030;

— while the Government has allocated an unprecedented level of investment in transport, representing an almost 87 per cent increase as compared to the previous five-year period, investment decisions will always require a degree of sequencing and prioritisation of individual projects;

— for public transport infrastructure, there is over €12 billion in funding in the NDP from 2026 to 2030, this represents more than double the amount provided in the previous five years;

— the funding in the NDP will provide for the progression of a number of major public transport projects over this period, including the commencement of construction of MetroLink, Luas Finglas, the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART)+ Programme and the Western Rail Corridor from Athenry to Claremorris, as well as the continued implementation of the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme and the BusConnects programmes across Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford cities;

— this funding will see the new DART+ Fleet rollout next year, as well as enabling early construction work to commence on DART+ West next year;

— on public transport services, PSO journeys have continued to grow steadily, reaching a record 363.5 million passenger journeys by the end of 2025, this represents an increase of 6 per cent or almost 20 million journeys over the 2024 total of 343.6 million, this sustained and significant growth in passenger numbers underlines the extent to which people are increasingly relying on public transport and demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining and investing in the network to meet this demand;

— Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan is another strong example of progress, delivering exponential growth in rural transport since its launch in 2022, 185 new and enhanced services have been introduced, resulting in almost 8 million passenger journeys in 2024, where Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan services have been implemented, patronage rose by 38 per cent from 2023 to 2024, and is up by 165 per cent compared to early 2019;

— passenger fare revenue is a critical component of the funding base, and is essential to maintaining the financial sustainability of the network into the future;

— since 2022, passengers have benefited from a 20 per cent cost of living fare reduction, extension of the 90-minute fare, a 50 per cent discount for Young Adults and Students, free travel for children under nine years of age, and extensions to the eligibility of the Free Travel Scheme, which is run separately by the Department for Social Protection;

— even following the 2026 adjustment, fares remain approximately 8 per cent lower in real terms than they were eight years ago, and the additional revenue generated through this determination together with continued Exchequer investment, will help the National Transport Authority (NTA) manage rising operating costs, improve capacity and reliability on existing services, and continue the rollout of new services;

— in 2025 alone, 363.5 million passenger journeys were made on the Transport For Ireland network – this level of demand places significant pressure on the funding required to sustain and expand services, and underlines why fare revenue is an essential component of the overall funding model;

— public transport remains highly competitive and affordable, the fare changes support continued network expansion and climate objectives by funding future improvements;

— the Government recognises that an equitable and reliable public transport network plays a vital role in encouraging a shift away from private car use, it is essential that the public transport system remains well funded and responsive to passenger needs and adequate fare revenue is essential to support this; and

— the NTA continually works with operators to improve efficiency and maximise value for money from both fare revenue and public investment, however, public transport services have expanded significantly in recent years, and operating costs have increased substantially, a sustainable public transport network requires an appropriate balance between fare revenue and Government funding to support continued growth and investment.".

We can all agree on the importance of stabilising the PSO funding model, investing in the public transport network and the crucial role that fare revenue plays in addressing this. I welcome the chance this evening to discuss the measures already being progressed and those that are captured as part of wider policy initiatives across Government.

In accordance with its responsibilities under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the NTA announced an adjustment to national fares as per its new fares determination on 3 September 2026, with the revised fares taking effect from January 2027. This is a critical step in the standardisation of the national fares structure and in line with the national fares strategy published in 2023. The key objective of that strategy is providing a more equitable and consistent structure for all PSO services, to which I will return later.

Fare revenue covers approximately 38% of the cost of operating PSO services nationally compared to the European average of 44%. The direct State subvention is much higher in Ireland than the European average. In 2025, about €850 million was spent on the PSO programme, which included a €192 million supplementary requirement to support our public transport network. In 2026, we raised the base for PSO funding with a substantial increase but inflationary pressures have increased the cost of operating public transport services. This has limited the NTA’s ability to introduce improvements to existing or new services, which many of the Deputies opposite are calling for. The adjustments to fares are required to help offset the cost increases in recent years, improve fare revenue recovery and ensure the sustainability of the PSO model. That model underpins our transport system and, importantly, allows for the continued roll-out of BusConnects, Connecting Ireland and DART+.

Since 2022, we have seen inflation of almost 21% which has driven up the cost of operating subsidised public transport services, including fuel, vehicle maintenance and staff costs. In the same period, public transport fares have decreased through various measures, such as the 20% cost-of-living discount, the young adult card discount of 50% and the extension of free travel to all children under nine, which no one opposite has mentioned. This has meant that approximately 1.5 million, or 27% of people in the Republic, are eligible for free or reduced-fare travel. While this is positive from a social inclusion perspective, it has widened the gap between what it costs to run services and the revenue fares bring in. There is a requirement to strike the right balance in public transport fares to enable further enhancements, which both Government and Opposition Members are calling for, to the public transport network in the coming years, offer the most competitive fares to younger and student passengers and to ensure value for money of the PSO subsidy to society.

While adult fares will increase by an average of 15%, child fares are being reduced in several areas nationally. In the Dublin commuter zone, in regional cities, in participating towns and on TFI Local Link services, a new reduced child rate will apply set at 33% of the equivalent adult fare. Again, no one opposite mentioned that. The determination will also continue to protect existing Government-supported fare initiatives, including the free travel scheme, free travel for children under nine years of age, and free companion travel arrangements for people aged over 70. A lot of people - approximately 1.5 million - are supported under the free travel schemes and rightly so. The NTA’s assessment is that even with these changes fares will remain approximately 8% lower in real terms than they were eight years ago.

Despite any demand elasticity effects arising from the fare increase, steady passenger growth is expected to continue throughout 2027, reflecting the continued strength of underlying demand for public transport services. Ongoing expansion and enhancement of services are anticipated to attract additional users and further strengthen public transport demand, outweighing any moderate reduction in demand associated with higher fares. The NTA will continue to monitor patronage trends across the network. I want to be really clear that any overall increase in revenue generated will go straight back into investment in public transport services, delivering better connectivity, increased capacity and greater reliability for passengers and commuters. I represent a commuter constituency as well and I speak to commuters from across the country. I know that what they are looking for are reliable services and more services. This investment also forms a key part of the Department's engagement. In the budget process, I will be seeking additional funding to further expand public transport services.

The NTA continuously monitors punctuality, reliability and demand. The Deputies opposite are right to raise specific issues on certain routes and I raise them directly with the NTA myself.

We needed many of those routes to improve reliability and provide additional services. The additional funding that will be provided in 2027 will be directed exactly to that end. We are working closely with the NTA to address the service issues. I am working with it directly on that. We must ensure reliability is improved for passengers.

The NTA has identified approximately 140 new and enhanced service initiatives nationally as part of the additional funding that will be available under the 2027 budgetary Estimate. Many Members have spoken about certain services they want to see. I, too, want to see them. We must ensure the funding is there to enable that to happen. That will be done through fare income, which is an important part of it, and through public service obligations. When I became Minister for Transport, I said I wanted to put the PSO process on a sustainable footing such that we do not have to go back every single year looking for Supplementary Estimates. A bus or rail network cannot be planned into the future in that way.

The additional revenue will be focused on providing a lot of the new services people are looking for, while also protecting the most vulnerable. There are three aspects to improving public transport accessibility, particularly for people with disabilities. The first is ensuring there is a universal design approach for all new infrastructure, to which our ambitious investment programme will adhere. The second is addressing legacy infrastructure deficits. We have greatly increased the funding to retrofit legacy inaccessible parts of our infrastructure. We will maintain that increased level of funding to ensure disabled people will be able to turn up and go, just as they should be able to do. Third is providing supports for independent travel. The NTA has expanded the independent travel support scheme to Dundalk, Drogheda, towns in Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim, and to the Louth Meath Fingal Local Link area.

Under the national development plan, as Deputies know, there is significant increased investment in the public transport network. In the Fingal area, work is commencing on MetroLink, which will carry 20,000 passengers per hour to and from the city. Planning has been approved for the Luas extension to Finglas. Phase 1 of the Cork commuter rail project is done and we are moving on to phase 2. Work is under way on the Liffey Valley BusConnects, with a second corridor contracted. All of these services are critically important for a growing population.

We are seeing people respond to those developments. In the past full year, there were approximately 363.5 million public transport journeys. I want to see more of that. We want to see improvements across our rail system. Deputy Martin Kenny mentioned issues in Sligo, of which I am aware. Issues in different areas are raised with me regularly at Question Time. I want to see improvements because I want to see more people using public transport services. We have had a significant increase over the past number of years, including last year. This year, we are projecting a 6% increase.

Commuters want affordable services but they also want reliability and to see an expansion of the services that are already there. I assure Deputies that the additional income arising from the NTA determination on fares is not to secure a stand-still position. In fact, it is to provide additional services. As part of the budgetary discussions I am engaged in, I am seeking additional funding to enable us to do even more. Fortunately, we are now in a position in which we are able to build significant public transport infrastructure across commuter rail, Luas and DART services. The roll-out of DART+ will take the service into Deputy O'Reilly's constituency as well as my own. That has been long called for and it is starting this year through shared island funding and additional funding from my Department.

This year was a stabilisation year across services. There still are issues regarding reliability and punctuality on certain services in particular. I raised those issues directly with the operators and the NTA and I am meeting the latter again tomorrow to discuss them. I assure Deputies that the additional revenue from the fare determination brought forward by the NTA will go into new and expanded services. Many of the Deputies' constituents and commuters generally are looking for that, and I intend to deliver it. As part of our budget negotiations, we intend to secure additional funding to do more in that regard.

I thank Deputies for their comments and feedback. It is important to get feedback. We all want to see improved services and an increase in the use of public transport. What we are doing will help to ensure that happens.

Demanding that people pay more for public transport in a cost-of-living crisis is wrong on every level. It just cannot go ahead. The Government is clearly removed from the day-to-day struggles of ordinary families as they try to make ends meet. If there was any commitment to reducing emissions, the Minister would be making public transport more affordable, reliable and accessible for even more people.

In Dublin Fingal East, the transport system is a joke. I listened to people speak at the Swords Senior Citizens Club AGM last night. It was notable that no Government parties were represented. The Minister was not there.

The EU energy ministers were over here. I had to attend that meeting.

A major issue for those senior citizens is the lack of the regular bus service that was promised between Swords and Beaumont Hospital. I received confirmation from the HSE last week that the service would be running by the last quarter of 2026. Two days later, I got a contradictory letter from the NTA saying the service would not be in place until 2028. Pensioners cannot fork out €60 for a round trip to hospital appointments.

The Minister is a local TD and is responsible for transport. He is failing communities across Dublin Fingal East. He said he has spoken to commuters but, clearly, he is not listening to them. Swords and Donabate are two of the fastest-growing areas in Fingal but a decent, reliable public transport service is not being provided. Yesterday, people spent more than an hour sitting in their cars in a traffic jam from Swords to Donabate because there is no alternative reliable service in place for them.

I genuinely look forward to the delivery of the metro. We have been waiting 35 years for it and it is still a few years away. In the meantime, I call on the Minister to ensure residents in Swords get a regular bus service to Beaumont Hospital as a matter of urgency and that a linked-up, reliable and sustainable public transport service is put in place to serve the people of Dublin Fingal East.

We have been told time and again that we should all be using public transport. Yet, there are communities across east Cork that have no adequate public transport whatsoever. The Government, with a straight face, is telling those communities that public transport will now be more expensive, notwithstanding that there is no public transport there at all. It is farcical. For people in Knockadoon and Ballymacoda, which are on the coast beyond Ballycotton, it is not a question of increasing fares. There is absolutely no service there at all. A lot of those residents have contacted me in the past few weeks. Many of them are elderly and are reaching the stage where they can no longer drive. They need a good, reliable public transport link to Midleton, where they can avail of GP services, shopping, banking and other essential services.

There are approximately 4,000 people living on that eastern Cork coast. I have written to the NTA on a couple of occasions to ask about Knockadoon and Ballymacoda. The response I received stated: "The NTA does not have sufficient funding to introduce new or enhanced bus services in '26. In advance of budget '27 and a greater certainty of funding availability for enhanced or new services, we are unfortunately not able to provide a date for implementing any of the bus service enhancements." There is a difference between east Cork and Dublin. A couple of years ago, I saw a fellow out by LH 2000 at 7.30 a.m. tutting because he had missed his bus and had to wait six minutes for the next one. I said to him that if he was in my part of Cork and missed the bus on a Tuesday, it could be the next Tuesday before he got another. That is the reality of the difference between the two places.

I am very disappointed by the Minister's amendment to our motion. However, nothing surprises me.

Many people might say that people in my constituency of Dublin South-Central are really lucky when it comes to public transport. We live in the inner-city areas between the canals and so we must have perfect transport services. In fact, that is not true. I have been bombarded with emails from constituents who are livid over the fare increases, and rightly so. As well as the hundreds of emails from angry and upset residents, I have been approached by people on the Luas, at the bus stop and on the street to demand that the Government not proceed with these price hikes. They cite the dire cost-of-living crisis.

They rightly point out that transport services are not delivering for them and the fare increases will likely reduce their use of services. Let us take the Dublin Bus route 73 as an example. A constituent from Crumlin says, "As a daily commuter, I cannot rely on this service any more, its terrible reliability, ghost buses, and completely inaccurate real-time information." The new 80 route serving Chapelizod, was implemented a year ago, but the residents had to block the main road in the village to get attention for their concerns. Multiple bus stops have been removed from service without consultation with residents. We need solutions. Residents of Inchicore and the Liberties remain troubled by the persistent reports they will lose all routes down Thomas Street, where they shop weekly. Last week in Inchicore, a family of tourists was in disbelief at my staff pointing out to them that they had to go to the shop because they needed coins to pay for the bus. Dublin Bus does not accept anything else. Notes and debit cards are still not supported. Why should people pay more for a service that does not deliver or serve them? It is just not good enough.

The Government wants people out of cars and on to public transport, and I agree with that. I have no issue with it whatsoever. In theory, it is good, but in practice, it is simply not working. To encourage people out of cars, the first thing that needs to be done is to make public transport more accessible. The last thing that needs to be done is increase the cost of public transport in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. It is also bad for the environment and the ever-increasing traffic congestion around Dublin, as we see ourselves as we move around.

The Government has also failed to deliver and provide for adequate public transport in my own area. The DART+ South West, which would bring a DART service to Clondalkin, Lucan and Adamstown, was granted planning permission in November 2024. Despite the Minister's arguments, the funding has not yet been released. I am very disappointed that in his ten-minute speech, I did not hear DART+ South West mentioned once. That is concerning to me. DART+ South West is a game-changer in my area. It would bring 20,000 passengers in each direction per hour. The reality is that because of the lack of train capacity, passengers in my area are fainting on trains because of overcrowding as they try to go to work. Now, the Minister wants them to pay more for the privilege of fainting.

The Minister mentioned BusConnects. There are 12 schemes, all of which have secured planning permission. How many have been delivered fully? Not one. I have seen the work on the Liffey Valley route starting, but that was meant to start years ago.

I will raise one last issue. The lack of public transport is forcing people to drive. I ask the Minister to look at parking provision in new estates in new areas. This is causing a lot of concern for residents.

Increasing public transport fares during a cost-of-living crisis is wrong. It is short-sighted, unfair and hits those least able to afford it hardest, namely, young people, students, pensioners, workers and families already struggling to make ends meet. People are being asked to pay more for a service that is already falling short. Simply put, it is higher fares for an incomplete service. The National Transport Authority, NTA, has noted that a 10% fare increase results in a 3% decline in passenger numbers. Why are we making public transport more expensive when we should be encouraging more people to use it? It shows once again how out of touch this Government is.

In Limerick, the problems are clear. Take the Condell Road, for example. This is a populated area with infrastructure where people would use a bus service if they had one, but there is no service there. I have raised this in the Dáil on a number of occasions. I again call on the Minister to personally intervene to ensure a bus service is provided on the Condell Road. We have bus lanes and bus stops but we have no buses. BusConnects has been delayed until 2028 at the earliest. We are being told we will not get a bus service until 2028 at the earliest. That is not acceptable. It is not fair on the residents and the Minister needs to intervene. Deputy Sheehan has raised the issue of a bus service for the Condell Road a number of times as well.

Almost a decade after BusConnects was announced, the plan remains incomplete and timelines continue to slip. As I said, Limerick BusConnects is delayed until at least 2028, yet fares are going up. We are giving the Government an opportunity to change course, reverse these fare increases, invest in a transport system that works, deliver the routes and services communities have been waiting for and put workers, students, pensioners and families first. Do not ask people to pay more for less. Cancel these plans and start delivering the affordable, reliable public transport that Limerick and the rest of the country deserve.

I thank my colleagues in Sinn Féin for putting forward this motion. I listened with attention to the Minister's opening remarks on the motion. If he can deliver what he just put forward, I will be the first to stand here in a couple of years and say he has done a really good job. There is an awful lot of good in this. The potential and the demand for public transport in this State are very clear. While we struggle to build significant capital projects, what the Minister has before him is a portfolio that offers real potential.

I also noted from the Minister's opening remarks the idea of stabilising the PSO with Supplementary Estimates. We know that a Supplementary Estimate was required only because it was not budgeted for properly in the first instance. Is that not a fair assessment? That is what the PSO costs year on year. In recent weeks, I have heard the Minister and many others emphasise that we are still below par when it comes public transport fees in the EU. We are either aspirational about public transport or we are regressive. If we compare ourselves to some EU states, they are moving in the other direction, towards free public transport, or certainly free for certain demographics in society. They are certainly not making tone-deaf decisions, such as increasing fares. There is no justification for doing that, even if, as the Minister says, fares have not increased in eight years. That rhetoric is simply not an acceptable reason for this decision.

Successive Governments' transport policy has focused on the movement of cars, not people. What the Government has done in its most recent budgets is treat roads funding and public transport funding as if they are a gift to the backbenchers, who are hungry to rush out to their constituencies to stand beside a new bus stop or new bus and say what they have delivered for their communities. It is unacceptable when we know that the truth is that the NTA is not receiving an adequate level of funding.

Demand for public transport services is at an historical high. We are also living in the midst of a climate crisis. What message do the fare increases send to commuters and public transport users? If we, collectively in this House, want to move as many people as possible away from cars towards public transport and secure that modal shift, as is surely our ambition, increasing the cost of public transport when demand is so high is a poor step.

We have heard time and again a figure of 140 new services. I have not seen the detail of that yet and I do not know if the Minister has either. However, he is asking people to pay now and see the detail of the plan later. This did not have to happen now. The NTA, the Minister and the Department could have been forthcoming, by at least providing a detailed breakdown of what those 140 new services will look like, when people are being asked to pay more. If that is available, I would love to see it, and I certainly would look forward to seeing it. In many ways, it would help people to digest what is a real tangible cut. We know this is the first in a series of cuts. "We cannot fund anything forever" is what Taoiseach said in response to these cuts. That concerns me, because if Donogh O'Malley had taken the same type of approach back in the 1960s when it came to free post-primary education, that sector would look very different now. We need ambition, and I am worried that this does not track with where we are going with this Government.

BusConnects has failed many. It has disconnected communities in Leixlip and Celbridge, to call it as it is. Many small communities have been left isolated when they had a more than adequate service to begin with. That desktop study has failed. To be honest, I am not a perfect mathematician. I struggled in the leaving certificate when it came to maths. I believe these fare increases will garner €70 million in additional revenue. This year, Irish Rail had to write off €50 million for a botched IT project. The Department of education, because it overspent, has imposed a levy of €18 million on the Department of Transport. Due to poor expenditure in Irish Rail and a levy imposed by the Department, there has been a write-off of €68 million. When I asked about this last week during oral questions, the Minister was not here and other Ministers said it was a budgetary decision.

I was at the UN.

I am not criticising the Minister. I am just letting him know that when the question was asked last week, no answer was forthcoming because, it was said, this was a budgetary decision. We have, however, an overspend of €68 million.

What are we doing? We are putting €70 million worth of additional fares on the taxpayer. It is simply not good enough. As it stands, while the Minister's opening remarks are very aspirational, and I reiterate that if he delivers on those, I promise him I will be the first to stand here and say very well done, I do not believe we can get there. I will tell the Minister why. We are doing the wrong things when it comes to climate. We are doing the wrong things when it comes to the affordability crisis. When we have such momentum behind the move - the modal shift from cars to multi-occupancy vehicles - we are struggling. We are failing and the optics of this will be a really regressive step. The Minister could do away with these hikes. I think he knows in his heart of hearts that he could. There are certainly ways around that €70 million within his budget. What he is justifying is inexcusable. I really ask him to reconsider that, certainly for the core demographics of people who are using public transport. He should work that into the budget. This does not have to happen in January. I ask him in that time to reconsider.

In a cost-of-living crisis and a climate crisis, one of the things that makes least sense is increasing the cost of public transport. However, that is a decision this Government has made. The Government could have chosen to invest further in public transport and encourage more people to use public transport networks it has already invested in, but it has not. Public transport is a public good that needs investment. This Government should be building on those investments, not undermining them by pushing people away from public transport.

For every 10% increase in public transport fares, ridership is estimated to fall by 3%. Instead, the Government has decided to place another financial burden on individuals and families who are already struggling through a cost-of-living crisis, with public transport fares set to increase by an average of 15%. This will have a significant impact on those individuals and families who rely on public transport. For many people living in my constituency of Dublin Central, the impact will be particularly acute, with short fares increasing by approximately 33%. This increase will disproportionally affect those on lower incomes and at a time when people are already struggling, a lot of people simply will not be able to afford this. At a time when the Government is already making abysmal progress towards meeting its climate targets, the last thing it should be doing is pushing people off public transport and back into cars.

As the Minister well knows, Dublin is already one of the most congested cities in the world. With a predicted decrease in public transport ridership, congestion will only get worse. Dublin drivers already lose 158 hours per year in rush hour traffic and that figure will only increase if people move back to cars because of the higher fares. On top of that, increased congestion makes our bus and Luas services slower and less efficient, further undermining our public transport network. Increasing fares also runs directly against the Government's own climate policy. We are supposed to be shifting journeys away from private cars and towards public transport if we are to meet our own emission targets, yet at this very moment, when we need to accelerate that shift, the Government is allowing public transport to become more expensive.

The contradiction is even clearer when we look at the Government's own record. When fares were cut in 2022, Ministers explicitly argued that cheaper fares would encourage people onto public transport and reduce our reliance on private cars. If reducing fares supported a modal shift then, the Minister needs to explain how increasing them is supposed to support that very same climate objective. All the facts, evidence and research point towards keeping public transport affordable, but the Minister is not following the advice here. Instead, he appears to be betting that public transport users do not have the same ability to bring the country to a standstill as other sectors.

Ultimately, fare increases are a political choice, and a very poor one. If the Government is serious about getting people out of their cars, reducing emissions and making public transport a viable alternative, it should be making public transport more affordable, accessible and not putting up the price of using it.

The Minister and everyone here knows these fares are illogical. We have a cost of-living crisis. Again, the Minister knows and everyone knows that people are really struggling. We want to get people out of cars and into public transport, and the Government doing this by increasing fares. It is completely counterproductive. People are talking about average increases of 15%. In Dublin, the short Leap fare is going to increase by 33%. I have been speaking to people in my constituency. They are very frustrated and angry. They are really going to be hit by this. The Dublin short cash fare is going to increase by 35% from €2 to €2.70. The Government talks about services and the need to balance the public service obligation, PSO, and what is given but it has a massive budget surplus. Surely the logical thing to do was give the NTA sufficient funding so that it did not have to increase fares. People are really frustrated by this. They see that it is a bad decision and it is bad policy. I would really call on the Minister to reverse this decision because we need to move away from cars. We need our cities to actually have decent public transport.

My concern is that what is behind this is a drive to the privatisation of public services and public transport. We have an increase in the likes of Go-Ahead Ireland and private operators being given public routes. Are these fares about incentivising more private involvement in our public services? Is it about making them commercially attractive for private operators? Go-Ahead, for example, which runs 30 routes, is an international company. It is owned in Australia and somewhere else. Why do we have private international companies running our public transport system? The Minister is shaking his head again and saying this is not true, but I would question whether it is.

I did not, actually. As it happens, I did not, but go on.

Is it? Why not have a completely public transport system then? Why get private operators? Surely we understand the failure that has happened in the UK with the privatisation of public services. We should have fares as low as possible. People have spoken about places like Luxembourg where free public transport has worked. We need to be reducing fares rather than increasing them and ensure that we have a proper public service.

Talking of my constituency, something I have raised with the Minister before is how BusConnects has made it very difficult for people. On three of the new routes, 24, 23 and F1, Dublin Bus's own assessment of its performance shows that they have not met their punctuality targets. None of the three new routes that were brought in are reaching their punctuality targets. As my colleague mentioned, in one of the most congested cities in the world, this is illogical.

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion today. It is a great motion. I think we in the Opposition are all of one mind on this. There is absolutely no way we would be proceeding with an increase in public transport fares at this time. I have read the Government's counter-motion and I read the Minister's comments earlier. By reading them, you might thing we were living somewhere in continental Europe such is the level of propaganda about how great our public transport system is. This week marks German Unity Day. We barely have a unified Luas system here.

I am genuinely baffled by this decision. Keeping public transport fares low is good policy. That has been borne out by the fact that we have seen huge increases in the numbers on public transport over the last number of years, far outstripping population increases or anything like that. The NTA has told us that for every 10% increase in fares, there is going to be a 3% decrease in the number of people using public transport. At a time of a cost-of-living crisis and when, as the Minister knows, we are in the middle of a climate crisis as well and we are trying to get people to use more sustainable modes of transport, a move like this that really punishes people who are less well off, who cannot afford to buy cars, or disabled people, students and other cohorts who are already up against it, is a really baffling move. It is not like the Minister is up against it from the Opposition. We all think this is a great policy. As I said, we are unified. It is a very popular policy with the public. It is a popular policy when it comes to politics as well. It is just sad that this Government is kind of pitching one section of society against another, or certainly looking out for the interests of certain sections of society and not all of them.

How is it that the Government can find €1.2 billion to subsidise people who are able to afford cars to drive to work, while the less well-off people who are stuck on public transport or cannot afford to buy cars are not getting the benefit of the largesse of this Government? I just do not think it is fair. The amount the NTA requires not to go through with this is €70 million. That is 6% of the €1.2 billion the Government has been able to find down the back of the couch to subsidise the cost of petrol and diesel, and we know there is going to be more. Of course people who are driving their cars are suffering as well, but I do not think it is right for this Government to look after one section of society and forget about others with this public transport fare hike.

In the Labour Party, we are dead set against it and very proud to support the Sinn Féin motion tonight.

To be honest, this makes absolutely no sense. It is a political choice and a very bad one. It is a bad choice also from a climate change point of view. I was listening to the former Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, on "Drive Time" the other day and I have to say, I could not have agreed more with him. It is a real pity that somebody like him is not in government at the moment. We spent €1 billion effectively chasing the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil in terms of fuel subsidies, something that is not even really working and that we are not going to be able to sustain indefinitely. We have climate, cost-of-living and energy crises, yet the Government is slapping 15% onto public transport fares because the capital plan for transport is not worth the paper it is written on. That is a fact. It is a complete fiction and the Government needs to plug the gap somewhere.

We know we are far too car dependent. We know that given the climate crisis we are all living through, even if some of us might be in denial about it, we need to get more people onto public transport. Through this decision, people who get the bus, the Luas and the train are the ones who are going to suffer. I wonder sometimes whether they should come out and grind the country to a halt to get the Government to listen to them. They are on packed trains and they have ghost buses. In some cases in Limerick, when you look at BusConnects, which was promised and then delayed three times, they do not have any bus at all. If the Government were serious about public transport, then it would fund it properly. We are spending €100 million per month at the moment and cutting public transport fares, or at the very least sustaining the reduction, is a cost-of-living support that puts money back in the pockets of ordinary workers, students and young people.

I find the decision to increase the price of public transport absolutely mind-boggling when all of the available evidence proves that the use of public transport is dictated by the price of it. Every day, every Member of this House hears stories about mothers with prams and elderly commuters left standing between carriages. In my own county of Cork, I receive a significant number of emails from commuters on the Midleton and Cobh lines who are dealing with two-carriage trains that are packed to the rafters. This is far from encouraging people on board. State services are driving them away.

I want to speak specifically about school transport. School transport, which of course is related to this issue, has increased its fees on parents who are battling with the fairy tale that is free education. There is an issue here I want to flag. The school bus is, for many young people, their first ever experience of public transport, and it is the beginning of kids seeing the benefit of it. We should make it free, increase the capacity, get parents out of the school run chaos and get kids using public transport early.

Commuters are getting nothing extra for these increased fees. The National Transport Authority, NTA, has said that 4.5% fewer passengers will use public transport next year because of these increases. The Government is rowing back on the relative progress made by the previous Government in lowering public transport fees. At a time when we should be making climate decisions that can be made in the here and now, the Government is encouraging people back into their cars, into traffic and the long and stressful commutes. If the Government provides a service for rural communities, they will use it. The Local Link in places like north Cork is usually full and so many people rely heavily on it. Let us have more of that and more service times that give rural people access to the local night-time economy through the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan. This is mind-boggling and I am shocked by it.

These fare hikes are outrageous. At a time when people are facing a severe cost-of-living crisis, what is the Government doing? It is making it more expensive for people to get to and from work. I received a message from a constituent last week saying that she had to borrow €3 from her boss to get home because she was not paid until the next day. That is the reality workers are facing in this country. How does the Government respond? It makes the daily commute even more expensive.

I get the train every day. We pack on. It is overcrowded and unsafe every day. My constituents are on about the 33A, the 33X, the 101 and the 101X, which are also overcrowded. Despite the pressure they are already under, they are being asked to pay more. What message are we sending to workers? Instead of making public transport more affordable and reliable, the Government is making it harder for people to use it.

Workers should not be punished for going to work. They should not have to borrow €3 to get home. This is another hit to working people who are already desperate and struggling to make a pay check last until the end of the month.

First, I wish to thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this very important motion. I am not sure who the Government is listening to but the proposed public transport increases are being met by simple disbelief by people in Kildare South. Time and again in this House and the Upper House, which I am a former Member of, I have raised the need to improve reliability and availability and address the overcrowding on our public transport services. We are now met with, "Hold all that; we're going to increase the fares."

I will make this plea. Has anyone from the opposite side of this House sat on the M7 in the morning for hours on end trying to get into the capital for work, knowing the stress it is putting them through and knowing that they are going to be late for work? Has anybody sat on the M7 waiting to go to a hospital appointment? I have mentioned cancer patients here before who have been late for appointments because of this stress. God forbid if anyone needed to get to the airport. It would seem the opposite side of the House is not listening to those commuters. Despite the motions that we in the Labour Party have brought forward to assist with this traffic congestion and get commuters out of their cars and onto public transport, the Government has simply rejected these. The Government's big idea, its answer, was to propose, as we know, an average increase of 15% in public transport fares.

For those who may say we only give out here on the Opposition benches, let me be clear. My colleagues have been clear. Time and again, I have welcomed the new rural links in my area, the new priority bus lanes on the M4 and the one under construction on the M7. I have welcomed them and will continue to welcome them. I have welcomed the investment in our train stations, such as Athy, but I cannot for the life of me welcome a fare increase for the commuters of Kildare South.

What we need to do is encourage commuters off our roads and onto public transport. That needs to be a priority for this Government. Increasing fares by 15% will, as has been pointed out, including by the NTA itself, reduce the number of those using public transport by more than 4.5%. It is time to cut fares on public transport. It is time to deliver a reliable, available and comfortable service, which everybody in this State deserves.

I thank Deputy Daly from Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion on public transport and fare increases. Instead of working towards a goal and trying to increase bus services in rural areas, this Government is taking a step backwards. The decision to increase public transport fares by an average of 15% to 30% next year is a major step backwards. The people of Donegal simply cannot afford this type of daily increase for a service that is often very poor and is extremely unreliable, yet we are being expected to pay an even higher fare for an already poor service, with no intention of any upgrades to justify the extra expenditure.

Donegal is not served by any rail connections, yet the bus service, particularly the main ones - routes 30, 32 and 64 - are so poorly connected that they are completely inadequate for the communities they are meant to serve. Instead of investing further in these services, the Government continues to strip them away. The recent decision to take away the 30 Expressway is further proof of this downgrading of services. I have been contacted by many constituents regarding an extremely poor 64 service.

Here are three examples. The first one says:

I am personally fed up missing connections because the Express bus cannot arrive in time to meet the Local Link so I can get into college. Trying to get the Expressway 64 to keep a decent timeable in order to connect to the Local Link is impossible.

The next person said they were a wheelchair user in Letterkenny. They said they have been unable to use the 64 service for the past 18 months because wheelchair-accessible booking has not been available.

The third person said the 64 bus service is unreliable when it comes to stopping in Drumkeen and this leaves people stranded and unable to plan with confidence. There is no late evening service after 6.30 p.m. This is 5 miles outside Letterkenny. It effectively cuts people off in the evenings from activities, part-time work and socialising in the town unless they can be picked up by car.

The lack of consistency of frequent buses into and out of Letterkenny is a real problem and with the current situation of traffic chaos in Letterkenny, it is unsustainable for residents, workers, students and businesses alike. Journeys that should take 15 to 20 minutes are now taking an hour to an hour and a half. We need to think outside the box. We need to provide buses and bus services for every child in these areas so we can get cars off the road. We need to aim for what we are meant to be doing instead of causing more chaos with cars having to come and pick people up because the bus services are not there.

I also take this opportunity to urge the Government to introduce a national no-wait card for those who have chronic illness, as well as access to toilets. The issue is especially prevalent in Donegal because we do not have access to trains, which have toilets on them. We need all the help we can get in Donegal.

The Government must reverse the 15% average increase in fares for public transport announced by the National Transport Authority for 1 January. This increase worsens the cost-of-living crisis and undermines climate policy. Switching from private cars to a comprehensive system of public transport, not just in cities but also in rural Ireland, where there is no alternative to private cars, is the most effective action we can take to meet our climate goals. There are billions available in the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund to reverse these increases and build a nationwide system of free, reliable and accessible public transport. This fare increase is moving in the wrong direction and is out of step with many of our European neighbours, where public transport is very low cost or even free.

Public transport is an essential public service and must be accessible to all, and I mean all. That means not just people in cities but also those in rural areas, like my constituency of Tipperary South. It is an area where there is limited public transport available and no practical alternative to the private car. If you are from south Tipperary and work in Clonmel at Abbott's vascular division, Boston Scientific, Tipperary University Hospital, Tipperary County Council, MSD, Medite or any other business, you must use a car. If you attend third level in Clonmel, you must use a car. If you shop in Clonmel, you must use a car. If you are from south Tipperary and attend third level in Waterford or Limerick, you must use a car. The Government must prioritise public transport in rural areas.

I also wish to highlight the unacceptable situation at Clonmel Railway Station. Clonmel station is a hub for trains and Bus Éireann services. Large numbers wait for connecting trains and buses there. They wait outside in hail, rain and snow while the station building remains closed. There is no access whatsoever to any service like toilets or waiting areas. I raised this issue again recently, only to be told that while internal works including passenger waiting areas, accessible toilets, a changing place toilet and staff facilities will be carried out as part of an accessibility programme funded by the National Transport Authority, the works will not commence for another two years. That will mean another two years of people waiting in all weathers without toilet facilities or waiting areas. This is not good enough by a long shot. I am asking the Minister of State to intervene to ensure these minor works in what is an existing building commence immediately.

The 15% average increase that has been proposed is over the top and defies logic. It is a retrograde step. We are supposed to be getting people onto public transport to reduce our carbon emissions and reduce congestion but this is putting our transport system in reverse. Inflation is only running at a fraction of that. This could not come at a worse time when there is cost-of-living crisis due to the sky-high cost of rents, mortgages, home heating, electricity and groceries. The Government will discourage many people from using buses and trains and push them back into cars, which will have a negative effect. The National Transport Authority has conceded that and I am hearing it from commuters in the Portlaoise and Portarlington areas. All our efforts should be going towards getting as many people as possible onto public transport and reducing traffic congestion and pollution. It is worth noting that just weeks after the exposure of the €50 million written off by Iarnród Éireann for a failed traffic management system, we now get a proposal to increase charges by 15%. We need a better use of the existing subsidy from the taxpayer and that is an issue. I have no problem with the subvention. We can increase it further. We need to improve capacity on our packed trains, on the Luas trams, where people are like sardines, and on buses.

Facilities at railway stations are very poor. In Portlaoise, for example, there are two tiny shelters and hundreds of people stand out in the rain getting soaked. They could be on their way to college or work in Dublin, Limerick or wherever. The situation is the same in Portarlington and Ballybrophy. That needs to be addressed. We need basic weather shelters at railway stations and proper toilet facilities.

Packed trains and carriages need to be taken into account and dealt with. We need extra carriages. Iarnród Éireann told me all its rolling stock is in full use and that is good, but new carriages are promised and that needs to happen. I am appealing to the Minister to halt this 15% increase in public transport fees, to put on more services and in the case of Laois to put on an 11 p.m. train from Heuston. The service currently finishes at 10 p.m. It is a good service but there needs to be an 11 p.m. service as well for people attending events in Dublin. We desperately need to improve facilities at railway stations like those at Ballybrophy, Portlaoise and Portarlington, as I have outlined. We need a survey of carriage, bus and tram capacity and to put on extra capacity where required. All of this is needed along with good use of the subsidy given by the taxpayer. We need to expand the local town and bus service as well. We have a good one in Portlaoise and Carlow but that needs to be exteded. I appeal to the Minister of State to see that this happens.

I thank Deputy Daly for bringing forward this motion. This is ultimately a question of political choice. It is possible to enhance public transport services and keep prices affordable. It was done during the last Government. Those four and a half years saw a huge expansion of bus services all over the country and at the same time they saw a 20% cut in everybody's public transport fares, a 50% cut for young adults and the securing of the funding to ensure under-nines could go free. Those were political choices made during the last Government and driven by a Green Party Minister in the Department of Transport.

This Government has made a different political choice. Yes, there may be some service enhancements but people are going to pay more for them. That is the difference at the heart of this. Do we look to keep fares low and continue to enhance services or do we go with the Minister's approach whereby we can have one or the other? My colleagues in the Green Party and I will always argue for keeping the fares low and expanding the services and we will make that argument any time. However, to hike fares by 15% on average in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis defies logic. This is a 15% increase when the rate of inflation is running at 3.4%, and the only promise the Government can make is that it will come back next year and hike fares again.

The Minister had a great line in his speech. He used the phrase "Despite any demand elasticity effects arising from the fare increase". Let us be clear about what that means. It means people who stop taking the bus or train due to unaffordability because of this decision. The NTA tells us to expect a 4.5% decrease in the number of passengers because of this decision. What sum is ultimately at issue here? It is €70 million. That is what the price increase is going to bring in. I am not saying it is a small sum, but when you place it beside the €1.3 billion that has been mobilised very quickly to assist other parts of society with the increases in their costs, and specifically their transport costs, you can understand why bus and train users are so angry. The electricity bills of people who use the bus and train are going up too. Their grocery bills are going up too and now, from 1 January, they are going to see a 15% hike in their transport costs.

This is a political choice. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have made the wrong choice here. They should provide the NTA with that €70 million, choose to expand public transport and keep it affordable. It can be done.

This increase in public transport fares is affecting the most vulnerable citizens and many students in third level education. The reality is that because of its failure in terms of housing, this Government has displaced so many young people from university campuses right across this country and, in many cases, these young people are now living at home and commuting into college on a daily basis. They are doing so not because they want to. They have to because of Government policy. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage outlined recently that he is not even considering the demand element with regard to housing. As a result, many young people across Ireland are commuting to college and the Government is robbing them of that opportunity in terms of college life and that wonderful time of independence in one's life. The Government has put them to the train and the bus, including getting one bus to another. I have had a number of calls about problems with connecting buses for young people going to college. The Government is now increasing the fares for the privilege of having to commute to college on a daily basis. It is wrong. I hope the Minister of State saw the National Youth Council of Ireland survey that showed seven in ten young people are planning on emigrating. The Government cannot offer them a bed for college or a reliable bus route in Mayo and other rural areas but it is now increasing the fares significantly. I ask the Minister of State to reconsider this proposal regarding hiking the cost.

I also want to speak about bus transport in Mayo. I thank Citylink for its work. I worked very closely with Citylink when the Government service from Ballina to Galway pulled out. It was Citylink that actually stood up in terms of offering an additional service. It was interesting and there was an irony because Government TDs and Ministers in Mayo were jumping up and down sending out press releases and timetables with their names on them, when it was the State service that had failed and pulled out and it was the private sector that was standing up. I worked very closely with Citylink on it and, extraordinarily, at the time Citylink was unable to even get the data from the Bus Éireann service to ascertain whether or not it would put on a service. It was extraordinary that there was no communication on that. I ask the Minister of State to reconsider this position.

It is almost like we are watching an episode of "Austin Powers". He has woken up from the sixties and then he sees the Minister - Dr. Evil - with this cunning plan. The trains are overcrowded and the buses are full when they turn up. It is a case of "Sure lads, how are we going to help with the demand situation here? I know. We're going to raise the price of public transport to discourage people from using the service". That demand reduction is built into the moronic idea of increasing the price of public transport at a time when people are suffering in many other walks of life. There are areas where less demand will lead to an improved service for others but there are people who live in places in my constituency, such as Adamstown, Clonburris and Seven Mills, where the trains are always full but the people in these houses are only given 0.75 parking spaces per housing unit and do not even have the option to drive. They cannot charge an EV to try the greener driving option because they cannot tag on their domestic charging tariff with it. They have no choice but to use public transport but they cannot rely on it because the buses do not turn up and if buses are cancelled, there is no real-time information.

A tourist in Dublin trying to pay with a credit card cannot do so because we still do not have that technology on a bus and the driver is delaying traffic explaining to that person that they need to pay in a different way. The system is not fit for purpose and, as I have said before, the NTA is not fit for purpose. It is a real kick in the craw to increase prices when people are suffering from increases in the price of food, fuel and electricity. That is what this Government should be getting right now - a full stop for this sort of measure.

The Government projects a €9.2 billion surplus for this year and today it is looking for a 15% increase in bus and rail fares. I do not know if I heard this right. This Government projects a €9.2 billion surplus for 2026 and it wants to increase bus and rail fares by 15%. My God. I was in Moate the other night at a meeting attended by over 3,500 people from all walks of life - the transport network, the haulage network, carers, nurses and contractors - wondering how their businesses are going to survive and then they see a Government with a €9.2 billion surplus. I heard the crowd across there saying how the Green Party did great things in the last Government. It spent a rake of money on electric buses that are parked and cannot be used, tied us to Europe on an unrealistic plan that we cannot achieve and brought pain to this country, but that was put in there by this Government. It signed up to that too.

It goes to show that if this Government was a business of any type in this country, it would be bust. It makes bad decisions and wastes money and what does it do? It goes back to the Exchequer and looks for more money for its mistakes. There is no accountability and nobody gets fired so it loses money and wastes money every year and comes back the following year. When I told the Minister for public expenditure in the Oireachtas Committee on Budgetary Oversight that there were people who could not get a rebate because they were not compliant because they might have been late with a repayment, he said "Richard, people have to be compliant", but this Government is not compliant. Every year, it goes over budget but the difference between the Government and a business is that the Government inflicts pain on everyone in this country to fix mistakes. It cannot even run a budget.

Now we come to the 15% increase in bus and rail fares. When people are trying to make a difference for the environment, the Government penalises them as well. The day of reckoning is coming and it is coming soon. The people in this country no longer have any faith in the Government. Hopefully, the next time there is an election, they will finally vote with their conscience.

At a time when families, workers and pensioners are already under enormous financial pressure, increases of around 15% across many public transport services, including Local Link, rural services, buses and trains will be another blow. The biggest problem we have in this country is accountability regarding transport. I do not think the NTA is accountable. I thank Sinn Féin for this very good motion.

We had the NTA before us at the committee. West Cork Connect has offered to take over the whole running of the Kinsale area, which would save millions of euro for the State. I asked the NTA why it would stop that. Basically, West Cork Connect is a private bus service. Bus Éireann is trotting around after it, just in case it would have any little bit of success. Good God almighty, what is wrong? Millions can be saved, so why is the NTA not considering that instead of using these heavy-handed tactics to make sure that good private operators are out of work, and instead of working with them and pushing that service? Millions could be saved and services put into areas like Caheragh, Drimoleague and Skibbereen. There is no bus service from Bantry or Kealkill to Macroom and Drinagh has no bus service. The NTA had tenders for Clonakilty and Grange a year or a year and a half ago, but it never delivered the service. It is a farcical situation. The NTA tells us there is no money. They are broke. The whole system is in collapse from start to finish and we are not getting what we could call accountability.

School transport is a shambles. It is an absolute disaster in many areas, regardless of where people are. It is the same complaint. I brought it up in the Dáil last week, but it has been put off as if there is no problem. There is a major crisis. People have spent five years getting a bus ticket and in the sixth year they will not get a bus ticket. It is outrageous. You could not make it up if you tried to make it up because people would not believe it could happen in any other world out there.

Instead of connecting Ireland, we are disconnecting Ireland. We are not using the private operators to run some of the services and Bus Éireann to run services in other areas, which would ensure that everybody gets some good out of the transport service. While I am talking about the transport service, what about people with disabilities? What about Megan O’Sullivan in Allihies, near Castletownbere, who sits at home because she has intellectual disabilities? She will not be picked up. Either her father or her mother will have to give up their job to take her to the services, which she can make such a success of if she gets there. Instead, she is left sitting at home in a chair. That is the kind of Ireland we have.

The Government has forgotten the people of Castletownbere. It has forgotten the people of Caheragh, Kealkill, Grange and Timoleague. It is not good enough. The money is there but it is blown apart. I am part of a rural transport board, or Local Link or whatever they want to call it nowadays. The Government took the buses from us and decided the NTA would run the service. It splashed out millions, not hundreds of thousands but millions of euro extra. While I am on that, I would like to wish David O'Brien, the Local Link manager in west Cork, the very best as he is retiring this weekend. He has been a brilliant servant to the people of west Cork and the whole of County Cork over the last number of years.

The sheer audacity of the Government proposal to increase public transport fares is breathtaking. The Government wants to increase public transport fares while large parts of rural Ireland are still waiting for public transport that actually exists. In Offaly, people are not talking about buses being too cheap. They are talking about the bus that never comes or they are angry about the route that does not exist. Only recently, I received confirmation that the long-promised route 826 connecting Mullingar and Edenderry, a service that would finally provide a direct public transport link across parts of Offaly, Westmeath and Laois, is stalled because there is no funding available. It is not delayed because of planning or staffing but because the Government has simply not provided the money. The Minister says fares have to rise to support the system. People in rural Ireland have every right to ask what system exactly he is talking about. The Government is asking people to pay premium prices for a second-rate service.

Let us look at what is happening to motorists at the same time. Figures released to me show that €23.7 million has been collected from motorists at the Portlaoise toll plaza every single year. That is completely unfair on businesses, haulage businesses in particular, that have to go through that toll frequently. Every day, workers, families, farmers, small business owners and hauliers across Offaly hand over more of their income simply to travel the roads they depend on. The M7 and M8 were built over 15 years ago. The concession runs until 2037.

Now, after collecting tens of millions of euro from motorists, the Government wants public transport users to pay more as well. If you drive, they have their hand in your pocket. If you get the bus, they have their hand in your pocket. If you live in rural Ireland, they expect you to be grateful for the privilege. If you work, you are taxed out of existence. The contradiction at the heart of this policy is impossible to ignore. For years, the Government has told people to leave their cars behind, but every action it takes pushes people back towards their cars. It cannot tell people to get out of their cars while failing to provide reliable alternatives and it certainly cannot justify fare increases when new rural services are being frozen because the money is not there, such as the 826 service that would serve Mullingar to Edenderry.

I want to use this debate to make a very simple point, which is that if the NTA and the Department of Transport are going to ask people to pay more for public transport, then people are entitled to ask what they are getting for it. For the people I represent, that has to mean two things: capacity and connectivity.

There are three practical examples in Galway East where we need to see delivery. The first is on the train from Athenry to Galway city. A parent contacted me just last week. His daughter is a college student in Galway. She fainted on the early train to Galway city from Athenry because it was so crammed. There were only two carriages and it was absolutely wedged. This is a daily occurrence for commuters in Galway. It needs to be tackled. I know there are capacity constraints across the country for rail, but the new carriages cannot come quickly enough for the people who are commuting daily. The trains are only going to get stuffier and hotter over the winter months.

The next practical step that could be taken relates to towns like Athenry, a town with over 5,000 people. For almost two years now, there has been no bus from Athenry to Galway city. We always had a bus in Athenry. Immediately after the private operator pulled the service a PSO was put in place, but we have still not seen a bus put on the route from Athenry to Galway. It is something that I and my constituency colleagues have been calling for. We know that Athenry needs to have a bus going to Galway city, which would take pressure off the train as well.

The last point is that there was a long-mooted Local Link service to be run from Athenry to Tuam. An Athenry to Tuam service serving Monivea and many other villages along the road would be an incredible addition for connectivity between the towns of Athenry and Tuam. These are the priorities that matter to people. That is what matters. It matters that if they need to get somewhere, they have the connectivity and if they choose to use the service, they have the capacity. That is the whole point I wanted to make today.

I want to make a particular point about the impact of the proposed fare increases on people in my county. I recognise the significant investment the Government is making in public transport. In 2026, €940 million is being invested across the public transport network and that investment is badly needed. However, we need more capacity, more services and better connectivity.

As a backbench Government TD, my responsibility is also to bring the concerns of the people of Kerry into this Chamber. The messages I am receiving from people across County Kerry are very clear. They are worried about what these increases will mean for them. We have a very real cost-of-living crisis. The national average increase is approximately 15%, but people in Kerry are concerned that some fares could increase by significantly more than that, in some cases by over 30%. That matters in a rural county like Kerry.

We are not talking about people who have multiple public transport options outside their front door. We are talking about people travelling from rural communities to places like Dingle, Killorglin, Castleisland, Tralee, Killarney, Kenmare and other towns across the county for work, education, healthcare and essential services. For many people, public transport is not a lifestyle choice. It is how they get to work. It is how a student gets to college. It is how someone who does not drive gets into town. If the cost of that journey rises substantially, we have to ask what the consequences will be. Will people continue to use public transport or will some have no option but to get back into their cars, if they have a car?

That is not just an issue for those passengers. It affects congestion, our roads and our climate objectives as well. I have received correspondence from constituents in Dún Chaoin and elsewhere in Kerry making exactly this point. They are not asking for special treatment. They are asking that affordability is properly considered, particularly for people in rural areas who have fewer alternatives.

I also recognise the Government's response points to the additional services and capacity these fares will help provide. The commitment to 140 new and improved services is very important. The continued 50% discount for young adults and students, reductions in many child fares and the continuation of the free travel scheme are all very important.

My county did not receive any additional funding for additional Local Link services this year. That was very disappointing but I believe there is a very simple principle here. If we are asking people to pay more they need to see and feel the improvement in the services they receive. There are a number of services I would like to mention that are in the pipeline but the funding has not been forthcoming for Local Link in Kerry to provide them. They are: Beaufort to Whitefield and Killorglin; the Gap of Dunloe to Beaufort and Killarney; and my own parish of Glenbeigh to Dooks along to Cromane and on to Killorglin. A route was approved for Killarney to Rathmore and Gneevgullia and on to Mallow. It is already approved but has not been launched. I support the investment in public transport. I support expanding services. I am asking the Minister of State and the NTA to pay particular attention to the impact these increases will have on rural Kerry.

I too am glad to get this opportunity. I thank Sinn Féin for raising this very important issue. Many people are very concerned about raising the cost of travel on public transport. We appreciate the public transport we have in Kerry very much because it is a very rural county and towns are dispersed and far away from each other. The Kenmare to Killarney route provides a great service. My idea is that maybe we do not need the larger buses all of the time. Maybe we could save by having a minibus or a 35-seat bus that could fulfil the needs of the people.

I am very concerned about young people and under-18s going to college, and indeed the over-18s, with the raising of the cost of travelling on buses. Many people - parents and students - are very concerned about this.

I also want to raise the issue of concessionary bus tickets. There is a problem in school transport that is manifesting a lot where people need their children to be taken on the bus, but if they are within the distance and only have a concessionary ticket they are not allowed to travel on the bus. In places like Killarney town itself, we need a lot more buses to bring people in from the outlying parts of the town. This is because the town is very busy, you cannot leave children walking and some parents do not have a second car so it is very hard for them to get their children to school, be it a mile away or whatever it is in the town's suburbs. We need more transport there. Then there is the route from Killarney to Killorglin. We need more space on those buses. Secondary school students travel from Killarney to Killorglin and have done so for years but we do not have enough capacity there at all times.

I am very concerned about the cost when we are trying to entice people onto public transport. Many people have no choice but to travel on public transport. I do not think now is an opportune time to raise the cost for people, with people under so much pressure.

I thank all the Deputies for their contributions this evening, for the points they have raised and for bringing these important topics to the House.

As set out in the Minister, Deputy O'Brien's, earlier remarks and the counter-motion, the Government is committed to maintaining a sustainable PSO funding model that supports continued network growth, service improvements on public transport, the delivery of BusConnects and Connecting Ireland, commuter rail expansion and future investment, while ensuring public transport remains reliable, accessible and affordable. The proposed fare adjustments are necessary to underpin these objectives and support the long-term sustainability of the network.

Maintaining affordable fares must be balanced with ensuring a financially sustainable transport system capable of funding service improvements, network expansion and fleet investment. Achieving this requires a careful balance between delivering high-quality, reliable services and ensuring the network is adequately resourced to meet growing demand. As passenger numbers continue to rise in recent years, with a record breaking 363.5 million journeys undertaken just last year, supporting people to make that switch from private car use, it is important to recognise Ireland has maintained an effective eight-year fare freeze alongside targeted affordability measures, including the young adult card, free travel for children up to nine years old and the 90-minute fare.

In line with international best practice and to bolster the State's capacity to invest in service expansion, network improvements and operational resilience, and to encourage continuous passenger growth, it is essential, therefore, that we prioritise the reinvestment of increased fare revenue, ensuring we can maintain a well-funded, reliable system and deliver greater, long-term benefits rather than reducing fares to unsustainable levels. These measures compare favourably when viewed in a European context with those adopted in many other countries. While we acknowledge the objective of improving affordability on a wider scale, making public transport free for all, as suggested by some, would impose a significant fiscal burden on the Exchequer with potentially far-reaching funding implications for the wider transport system and any other budgetary suggestions or requests.

In this regard, providing free travel for all would significantly undermine the financial sustainability of the public transport system and constrain the ability to maintain and enhance service provision. The proposal to make public transport free for all is difficult to determine but would be substantial. The fare revenue loss alone in 2027 is in the range of €538 million to €595 million and does not include the cost of the provision of additional fleet and services to cater for the expected additional passenger demand. We fully recognise that keeping fares affordable is important but so too is ensuring that we can continue to introduce new routes, increase frequencies, improve reliability and connect more communities to public transport.

The Government completely appreciates the pressure rising fuel costs is placing on households, transport operators, the wider community and families across the country. Public transport has a particularly important role to play at times like this by providing a more affordable and sustainable alternative for many people. In that context, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and his Department are keeping under close review how the public transport system is equipped to respond to current pressures. At the same time, it is important the measures are carefully considered and aligned with available resources so they are effective, sustainable and deliver real benefits to passengers. There is a requirement to strike the right balance in public transport fares to enable further enhancements to the public transport network in the coming years, offer the most competitive fares to younger and student passengers and ensure the value for money of the PSO subsidy to society.

As articulated earlier, the recently announced change in fares is aimed at supporting the continued expansion and improvement of public transport while maintaining affordability. Any overall increase in revenue generated here will go straight back into investment in public transport services, delivering better connectivity, capacity and reliability for passengers and commuters. I counted no less than 14 interventions from Deputies who called for that increased level of service and availability in this debate alone. There is a lot of demand. It is understandable and merited but it does have to be paid for somehow.

Regarding funding, an unprecedented funding allocation of €940 million for PSO services was secured in budget 2026, as laid out by Deputy Cahill. This is a significant 43% uplift in the allocation from the previous year's budget. While 2026 saw this substantial increase in Exchequer funding, continued inflationary pressures have increased the cost of operating public transport services which has limited the NTA's ability to introduce improvements to existing services or new services in the TFI network as part of the wider capital investment under the national development plan. Any funding provided to the PSO programme under budget 2027 will still be supporting over 65% of operating costs overall. Fares have to play a role, therefore, in rebalancing that equation. The adjustments to fares are required to help offset the cost increases in recent years, improve fare revenue recovery and ensure the sustainability of the PSO funding.

We are at a key juncture for public transport in Ireland. Reliable and sustainable services are critical as passenger numbers grow. Congestion worsens in urban areas and a greater proportion of the population depends on public transport for commuting, education and essential travel. The challenge, therefore, is to balance affordability for passengers with the long-term financial sustainability needed to expand and improve public transport services.

The NTA applies detailed statistical analysis of all services, and it shows the passenger growth is expected to continue throughout 2027, supported by the ongoing expansion and enhancement of services which are anticipated to attract additional users and further strengthen public transport demand. To support this increased demand adequate funding, including increased fare revenue, will support the delivery of key transport programmes and commitments in line with operational and resource capacity. For example, the NTA recently identified approximately 140 new service initiatives and capacity enhancements as part of its 2027 budget submission to the Department of Transport, taking account of competing funding demands and wider public transport priorities. They remain subject to the outcome of the annual Estimates process and, if approved, will represent the biggest year-on-year enhancement of services in many measures. As per the intervention of Deputy Dolan, these measures would allow for the continued growth in PSO journeys, which have continued to grow steadily, and demonstrate how the public is making positive steps in making the switch to using public transport.

The adjustment of fares is required to ensure the sustainability of the PSO funding model and support the Government's commitment to continued network growth, service enhancements, investment in BusConnects in Dublin, Cork and other cities, the completion of the Connecting Ireland rural mobility programme, continued development of commuter rail services, and funding future improvements while keeping public transport competitive and affordable. As a Government, we must remain fully committed to building on these positive changes and delivering a public transport system that is responsive to passenger needs. In this regard, as noted in the Minister's earlier remarks, the Government is investing record levels of public funds into public transport infrastructure. Over the lifetime of this Government, we will see shovels in the ground of MetroLink, DART+, Luas Finglas and the reinstatement of the western rail corridor between Claremorris and Athenry. We will also see the continued progression of core bus corridors in Dublin as part of the BusConnects Dublin programme, the completion of phase 1 of the Cork area commuter rail programme and the progression of phase 2. These projects, along with others provided for in the national development plan, will help provide a high-quality, connected public transport system for all passengers and help to alleviate congestion.

I assure the Deputies that the Government recognises that transport connectivity is hugely important for all people, particularly those who live and work in rural Ireland, as evidenced by the launch last year of Ireland's first-ever smart demand responsive transport, DRT, pilots in Achill, Killarney and the north east of Limerick city. Using the TFI Anseo app, passengers are now able to book on-demand rides with ease, bringing the convenience of modern rideshare together with the reliability and affordability of public transport. This pilot is funded under the Government's climate action fund which supports innovative transport solutions which contribute to a greener and more connected Ireland. The roll-out of the current phase of the Towns++ programme began with the launch of the Carlow town bus service in 2023 and, most recently, a Mullingar town service launched earlier this year.

I thank the Deputies for raising these issues and initiating a very important discussion. However, for the reasons the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and I both outlined, the Government is opposing the motion. The Government has high ambitions for our public transport system and has allocated funding to make them a reality. We want people to shift to sustainable modes and believe the new fares remain competitive and continue to represent great value to commuters and all passengers. We also believe that investment in new services is essential and fare changes will help facilitate this and will mean that public transport will continue to be attractive for more and more people in the years ahead.

The Government and Department of Transport, in partnership with the NTA and operators, remain fully committed to delivering a public transport system that is reliable, accessible, affordable and capable of meeting the growing needs of communities throughout the country. It is, therefore, essential that the public transport system remains well funded and responsive to passenger needs. Adequate fare revenue is critical to supporting this.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Fillfimid anois ar Sinn Féin ar feadh deich nóiméad leis an díospóireacht a chríochnú.

On Friday last, I got an update from Dublin Bus on the performance of three of the main bus routes that serve my constituency. It states that the H1 route has unfortunately not achieved the target of punctuality in recent months. The H2 route has also has not achieved the target of punctuality in recent months, and I received the same answer for the H3 service. The Minister of State is telling commuters who are annoyed at being late to work, college or appointments that they need to pay more for a service that is either constantly delayed or does not show up. Seriously, is he for real?

We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Everything is more expensive. The last thing we should be doing is hiking public transport fares and putting more costs on the people who get up early in the morning, as the Government likes to say. If we want people out of private cars, we should reduce transport fares and increase the number of people who are entitled to free public transport, particularly those under 18 years of age because what we will then see is those young people developing good habits at an early age. This is a slap in the face for ordinary people. I urge the Government to intervene and stop these fare hikes.

Increasing rail fares on the antiquated Rosslare, Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin rail line would be an absolute joke. It would be a bad choice and would make no sense. Despite great expansions at Rosslare Europort, the gateway to Europe which connects Rosslare to Dublin, our capital city, it is an absolute farce and has regressed hugely. It takes longer to get to Dublin by train than it took 40 years ago, when I started using the service. There are fewer carriages, carriages are cramped, toilets in stations are often not open, there has been no catering service for years and, as I said, the journey goes at a snail's pace due to the failure of successive Governments to invest in rail infrastructure. Yet, the Minister wants to charge people more for the privilege of using the service.

When Deputy Mythen and I met with the manager of Iarnród Éireann in Buswells Hotel, we pointed out that, unfortunately, many of those who use the Rosslare, Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin rail line are forced to stand the entire journey to Dublin, often in between carriages. This is absolutely shocking in 2026. Why would we ask passengers who board in Gorey, Arklow, Rathdrum and Wicklow and are squashed like sardines before they do a hard day's work in Dublin to pay 15% more for the privilege? That is a bloody joke. There are only two services that are capable of getting commuters from my constituency to Dublin to get to work before 9 a.m. This is pushing many of them back onto the road as commuters on a gridlocked M11.

Despite all the bluster about reducing carbon footprints and all of that, the Government has refused to prioritise public transport and invest in the rail service. It could make that happen. It could take cars off the road and improve people's quality of life, instead of people being stressed in the morning trying to get to Dublin because they have no alternative but to use public transport. How on earth can the Government expect them to pay 15% more for an antiquated service that runs from Rosslare to Dublin? I call on the Government to rethink and reverse this crazy decision.

The Government is expecting people to pay more for public transport at a time when those who depend on public transport are already struggling with ever-increasing household costs. The Government has proposed that from January 2027, adult public transport fares are set to increase by an average of 15%. In Dublin, the 90-minute Leap card fare will rise from €2 to €2.30. There are a number of economically vulnerable areas in my constituency of Dublin North-West. These price hikes will have a seriously negative impact on families in this cost-of-living crisis. Particularly now with the high cost of fuel, many of my constituents are becoming more dependent on public transport.

There has been an overhaul of the provision of public transport in my constituency, yet despite promises of better connectivity, there have been numerous complaints about the reliability of the new bus services. For example, in Dublin North-West, with the introduction of phase 7 of BusConnects, routes 23 and 24 have had reliability issues since their introduction. Common among the complaints are long delays in waiting for buses and multiple bus cancellations. A bus service is only useful if the bus arrives on time and with sufficient capacity. Unreliable services force people back into cars and taxis, undermining the Government's own objectives on congestion, emissions and public transport usage.

I, along with the community, have submitted proposals to the NTA to amend certain proposed new routes, particularly in terms of their accessibility. For many people, especially the elderly, public transport is a necessity and not a choice. As such, it should be accessible, dependable and affordable.

Extending the age requirement for free travel to 18 would have a societal benefit, allowing for greater opportunities for young people to attend school, extracurricular activities, jobs and social events regardless of household income. The Government should not allow these price hikes to go ahead. Instead, it should properly fund public transport, as well as address reliability and capacity issues.

Do any Government Members listen to the radio or watch television? Do they hear workers and families talking about the cost of living every day? What do they do? They make it more expensive to go to work, school or college, or to attend essential services, particularly health services, that some people rely on the public transport system for. The Government claims it wants more people to use public transport, but its actions tell a different story - they tell the truth. Increasing fares while asking people to leave their cars at home makes no sense. Ghost buses that put people's jobs at risk are unacceptable. For how long has the Minister been promising it will be sorted? This morning on RTÉ, it was said to the Minister that people are standing there, the bus is coming and then, minutes from its supposed arrival, it disappears. That is happening all over Dublin West and all over Dublin city. I heard last night at a meeting from Shannon, a resident of Tyrellstown who started college and is already missing classes because of these ghost buses.

Those on the Government benches love to waffle about the Opposition having no solutions. Well, here they are: stop the fare hikes, introduce free travel for under-18s, improve the failing services, end the scandal of ghost buses and deliver decent services for people. I will provide an example. In Tyrellstown, in the new developments of Kilmartin, Hollystown and Hollywoodrath, there are no rail services and there is a poor bus service that is made worse by ghost buses when people are relying on those buses.

I met representatives of Irish Rail today and they said they are hoping for funding for DART+ to be given this year. Why does the Government not tell them the funding is there and let them get on with the job of delivering a world-class system? This comes down to political choices. Last year, the political choice the Government made was to give €250 million to developers who were already building apartments. Let us help the people - the workers and the families - who are struggling.

Haveyouseenthe103.ie is a community website set up a few weeks ago to track the failings of the 103, 103X and 105X bus services from Ratoath and Ashbourne to Dublin. I have the report from the first few weeks and it paints a damning picture. This is not just about delays; it is about a system failing the people who depend on it. Now the Minister wants to hike up fares for the privilege of this frustration. From 2 to 28 September, there were 275 community reports and 155 officially cancelled trips. A quarter of all notifications of cancellations arrived too late to be useful, very many of them after the bus was due to arrive. Commuters checking the Bus Éireann website would have missed 84 cancellations, while those checking the app would have missed 47. One feed is never enough. This is communications failure on top of service delivery failure. Meanwhile, more than 100 full buses passed stops, leaving passengers behind. This accounted for 28% of community reports, 27 at Ashbourne Community School alone. That school is far from the last pick-up point. Ghost buses that were shown and that then vanished accounted for 92 reports. The chain of accountability from the Minister to the Department to the NTA to Bus Éireann is like the 103 - it is broken. Someone must answer and the Minister is the one charged with responsibility and authority. It is clear from the data that we need extra capacity at the morning peak and we need answers on why the live feed shows buses that never come. More than anything, we need a bus service that is fit for purpose.

In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is deferred until the weekly divisions tomorrow evening.