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Traveller Community

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022

Tuesday, 22 March 2022

Questions (172)

Patrick Costello

Question:

172. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport the actions that his Department has taken to implement the relevant recommendations from the Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community report issued in November 2021. [14015/22]

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Written answers

While the recommendations in the report supplied are not an area of direct policy responsibility for my Department, the Irish public sector operates within a legislative framework that recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workforce and work environment. This includes polices that promote the rights and inclusion of groups across the equality grounds. Some strategies include specified targets; for example, an increase from 3% to 6% of people with disabilities in the workforce by 2024 (Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities) and 1% of the workforce to comprise ethnic minorities (Migrant Integration Strategy, National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021).

The Public Appointments Service (PAS) as recruiters of staff for the public service play a central role in recruiting diverse talent to take up public service employment opportunities, as outlined in their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy which includes access and the effect of recruitment and selection processes to attract candidates from diverse backgrounds, including the Traveller Community.

In relation to travel costs, the Deputy will be aware that a new suite of measures is being introduced by Government to help with the rising cost of living, including a 20% average fare reduction on PSO public transport services until the end of 2022. These discounted fares will benefit the hundreds of thousands of people across the country who use PSO services every day. €54m in Exchequer funding has been secured to allow for the introduction of these discounted fares; this funding does not include an extension of the scheme to private coach and bus operators. As the Deputy will be aware, unlike with PSO services, the National Transport Authority (NTA) do not set, monitor or regulate fares on services run by commercial operators.

Also, in recognition of the importance of incentivising young people to use public transport, as part of Budget 2022 I secured €25m of funding to provide for the introduction of a young adult card (YAC) which will allow any person nationwide who is between 19 and 23 years old, to avail of an entitlement for discounted travel costs, and to increase the level of discount over and above the current student discount to an average of discount of 50% across all services, including city, intercity and rural services. It is envisaged that the discount will initially be made available on PSO services, and then broadened to include commercial operators at a later date.  This will not only promote modal shift in the transport sector among this age group but should also contribute towards a reduced reliance on private transport with associated benefit of transport emission savings.

These measures align with our objectives of decarbonisation, decongesting cities, improving liveability, and providing accessibility on an equitable basis which will have a real impact in people’s pockets.

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