Paul Murphy
Question:7. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he will make public transport free for under-18s and students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4415/24]
View answerThursday, 1 February 2024
Questions (7)
Oral answers (15 contributions)
We have had many exchanges in the Chamber on the need for free public transport. People Before Profit are very clear we consider this to be a key environmental and cost-of-living measure. I want to focus on the question of making public transport free for under-18s and students because not only is it a very good idea, but it is also Green Party policy. Are we going to see it happen?
Further to what I was saying a moment ago, I fully agree that we need to encourage more people to use public transport. That is why we are investing in significant service and infrastructure improvements as well as funding various fare initiatives that have been introduced in recent budgets which complement the heavily discounted fares already available for under-18s on PSO services. However, all these improvements and initiatives require significant levels of funding, which means we need to think carefully about how best to use available sources of funding.
There is a wealth of data available to inform our decisions in that regard. The CSO’s national travel survey shows us the type of barriers that prevent greater usage of public transport. Those barriers primarily relate to issues like service availability, which is the question of whether there is a service available, service frequency, which is the question of whether services come at times that suit the individual, and service reliability, which is the question of whether someone can rely on the bus or train to be there when he or she needs it. We are tackling those barriers through initiatives like investing in BusConnects, which I mentioned earlier, as well as enhanced town services in bigger towns and Connecting Ireland in rural areas. On rail, we are supporting improvements across the network on both commuter and intercity services.
The Deputy is right to say fares play a part, especially for young adults, and again that is evident from the national travel survey. Around 9% of young adults say the cost of public transport is an issue and it is that cohort we are supporting through the young adult card and student Leap card, which reduces fares by 50%. The data also shows that another 8% of people think we should make it easier to use public transport and it is that cohort we are helping with the TFI 90 fare initiative.
As a final point, other data in recent years showed the cost-of-living pressures people were facing, which we addressed through reducing all PSO fares by 20%. That sort of evidence of improvements is going to be key. We will continue to review and look at the whole variety of different issues, including fare costs and the level of PSO subvention. There is a particular issue for young people around school travel and that is another connected issue which the Department of Education is responsible for. I will be happy to discuss this with the Deputy.
I thank the Minister. The Green Party transport policy from April 2021 refers to short-term actions to be done within 12 months. One is to "Make public transport free for all students (up to and including 3rd level) ...". It is now 34 months later and students are still paying for public transport. What I took from the Minister's answer, as well as recent reporting in the Irish Examiner is that there is no intention to further reduce fares and certainly no intention to move towards non-commodified public transport for young people, or at least students. This would make it much easier for people to take public transport, make it something everybody can do and assist in shifting people out of cars onto public transport, which is one of the crucial things we need to do.
The Deputy quotes our policy from April 2021, but he should look at what has happened since then. For a student, the 50% reduction is in effect a 60% reduction because it also benefits from the wider 20% reduction. If people in college who use public transport are asked what has changed in the last few years and whether they notice that change, they say "Yes". That was delivered thanks to us and our Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael colleagues in government. It is not an insignificant change and, as I reported earlier, the numbers using the services are skyrocketing compared with any other international precedent, any other country one might look at.
What other Deputies were saying is true, namely, what really drives people mad is if they are waiting at a bus stop and the bus does not turn up. It is about frequency, reliability and speed and they should be the focus now. Budgets are limited. We have a constrained budget both on the current and capital sides. There is a real issue with how we pay for everything while also paying for health, social welfare, education and other services we need. Having delivered, especially for young people, a dramatic reduction in fares, it is right for us to now increase the service reliability and availability.
The fare reduction is welcome; there is no question about that. It has made a difference, so imagine what a difference it could make if the Minister's party's policy were implemented and we reduced the fares so far that they no longer existed. Imagine what that would mean for people in terms of the money in their pocket and the ease of just knowing they can jump on a bus, train or whatever and get where they need to go.
This is always the debate. The Minister says "No" and that the key thing is for us to have accessible, expanded public transport. We agree. We do not counterpose those things. Our budget statement outlines the cost of making public transport free, which is about €500 million, but we do not just do that. We say we need to massively expand public transport, because it is all very well for it to be free but if people do not have a bus, train or whatever else taking them where they need to go, then public transport is not going to be an option for them. We need to do both. Is the Minister saying that Green Party policy has been abandoned, that he is not fighting for it any more or that he does not think it is a good idea because he is in favour of doing other things?
I am very glad about the Green Party policy we introduced whereby 10% of funding is going for cycling and walking, which has never been done before. That is delivering. I would welcome the Deputy cycling down from Tallaght on the new green route, which is going to be spectacular.
So would I.
We will start concluding it this year, joining up south Dublin with Dublin city centre. That is Green Party policy being delivered. It was also Green Party policy that introduced in the programme for Government the 2:1 ratio between public transport and roads in the remaining capital budget. There was nothing like that before we came into government. That is also part of what we need to.
There are so many different things we need to do and so many different moving parts, but the key now is to make the political decisions to reallocate road space to ensure the buses work faster so they come quicker. That is what the people want more than anything else. It is what the priority should be. I am upfront and honest about that. It is going to be the key political issue in the next two to three years at local government level. People Before Profit councillors are opposing traffic measures in Dún Laoghaire that would be transformative. That decision has not been made yet. Will the Deputy get his councillors to vote in favour of sustainable mobility in Dún Laoghaire as an example of what needs to be done.? That does not cost anything except a bit of political courage.
We are in favour of access in Dún Laoghaire.
People Before Profit councillors are going to vote against it, I am told.
I do not think so.
If the position has changed, it will be good news.
I will find out, but I do not think so.
I ask the Deputy to come back to me and let me know.
Yes.