Public Transport.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 March 2004

Tuesday, 2 March 2004

Ceisteanna (97, 98)

Paul McGrath

Ceist:

159 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Transport if he intends to bring forward integrated ticketing and smart card technologies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6733/04]

Gerard Murphy

Ceist:

196 Mr. Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he intends to bring forward integrated ticketing and smart card technologies; if money has been allocated for this purpose in his Department’s Estimates for 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6736/04]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Transport (Mr. Brennan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 and 196 together.

The Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, has statutory responsibility for the implementation of an integrated ticketing system based on smart card technologies for initial deployment in the Dublin area. The RPA has set a target date of 2005 for the launch of the full smart card based integrated ticketing system in Dublin. It continues to examine all options to expedite the delivery of integrated ticketing with a view to bringing forward the proposed launch date. An important step will be the launch later this year by the Railway Procurement Agency of smart cards on Luas services.

The allocation for integrated ticketing in the 2004 Estimates for my Department is €9.5 million.