186. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport whether the National Transport Authority intends to cascade or redeploy the existing side-mounted Leap card validators currently in use on Dublin bus services to Galway city services following the rollout of the Next Generation Ticketing programme in Dublin; if such redeployment is not planned, the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74956/26]

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including ticketing and technology projects.

Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy’s question to the NTA for a direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

Pending this detailed response, I note that the Programme for Government commits to rolling out contactless fare payments on all public transport and to keeping fares low and affordable. The NTA's Next Generation Ticketing project will replace the Leap Card system, which has served over 9 million users since its launch in 2011 but is now nearing end of life. The project will provide for an upgraded ticketing system to facilitate a variety of payment methods on public transport services, including bus services. Fundamental to this project is a transition to an 'Account Based Ticketing' scheme incorporating mobile and card-based payments.