Paul McAuliffe
Question:55. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Transport his plans to improve the frequency of the bus service in the Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55883/22]
View answerThursday, 10 November 2022
Questions (55, 87)
Eoin Ó Broin
Question:87. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Transport the additional supports he is providing to the National Transport Authority and Dublin Bus to ensure peak-time bus services are increased to meet the recent increase in demand. [55749/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 87 together.
As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators.
In addition, since 2010, the award of Public Service Obligation (PSO) funding falls under the independent statutory remit of the National Transport Authority (NTA). The allocations to the transport operators for the provision of public transport services are decided by the NTA in exercise of its statutory mandate and in accordance with the various contract arrangements that it has in place with PSO service providers.
This Government is firmly committed to enhancing and expanding our public transport services provision across the country. To support this objective, in Budget 2022, I secured c. €538m of funding for PSO and Local Link services provided by State operators and under contract by the NTA this year. The recently agreed Budget 2023 further helps to support this aim, with a €563million funding package secured to support the PSO services next year.
In light of the Authority's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputies questions in relation to public transport bus frequency, to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 51