Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 October 2017
472. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a detailed study of the subventions to public transport and public bus services in European cities comparable with Dublin will be carried out. [43648/17]
View answerI am always cautious about drawing direct comparisons between funding levels of public transport in different countries and cities. There are a whole range of issues which can potentially distort the picture and which must be examined to ensure a like for like comparison is being made. Public transport operations in other European cities will differ substantially depending on a variety of factors such as population density, market structure and transport infrastructure. The OECD has also highlighted a number of potential issues including data availability/comparability.
Nonetheless, in reviewing public transport policy in line with the Programme for Government commitment, my Department intends, in conjunction with the National Transport Authority, to again look at possible international comparators relating to the funding of public transport.
As part of the spending review 2017 the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform produced a paper entitled Public Service Obligation (PSO) Funding for Public Transport which provides an overview analysis of State funding of public transport. That paper is available at http://www.per.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/PSO-Transport-2.pdf.
