Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2019
64. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the impact on persons with disabilities who cannot access DART and rail transport due to the non-maintenance and failures of lifts at certain stations; his plans to ensure such persons can access rail and DART services in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6714/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, 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 issues raised by the Deputy about problems with passenger lifts at some train stations are operational matters for Iarnród Éireann. That said, I am concerned that the company would be doing its utmost to ensure continued accessibility for passengers who need these facilities, and I have been assured that Iarnród Éireann is committed to providing all its customers, including those who are mobility and sensory impaired, the highest level of accessibility on its rail network.
When lifts get damaged and are out of service, some specialised parts may be required which can take some time to be delivered. Iarnród Éireann endeavours to return all out-of-service lifts to operational service as quickly as possible. The company's provider of lift maintenance services gives priority to lift requirements for repair and attention. Iarnród Éireann has also advised that extensive and deliberate vandalism has a big impact on the functionality and reliability of lifts on the network. The Iarnród Éireann website and the Passenger Information System displays at all DART stations is updated in the event of a lift being out of order.
I am advised that a number of measures are being taken by Iarnród Éireann to improve access for people with disabilities to rail and DART services. Under the Accessibility Retro-fit Programme funding is provided for, amongst other things, the upgrading of train stations to make them accessible to wheelchair users. In this regard, I secured a trebling of the funding provided for the Retro-fit Programme to €28 million for the period 2018 to 2021. In 2018 €1m was provided for rail station accessibility upgrades and this has been increased to €3m for 2019. With increased funding from 2019 it is envisaged that larger projects will be undertaken at railway stations including the installation of lifts and bridges to allow easy access “across track” platforms for wheelchair users.
Following a review by Iarnród Éireann of accessibility on the DART, Maynooth and Northern Commuter lines, and consultation with users and representative bodies, the company has launched a new Improved Accessibility Policy. This involves a new zonal system for DART, Maynooth and Northern Commuter, that is designed to provide better service and quicker response times to passengers who require assistance. This policy divides the 31 stations on the DART, Maynooth and Northern Commuter lines into 13 zones, with each zone including between one to four stations. One station in each zone will always be manned and will provide support to other stations in that zone. Full details are available on the Irish Rail website.
Iarnród Éireann has reduced the notice period for providing assistance to customers on the DART from 24 hours to 4 hours and the company is working towards reducing this notice period even further.
Furthermore, Iarnród Éireann intends to deploy Customer Service Officers (CSO) on all Intercity routes. This will mean that, at all stops, train services with a CSO on board will be able to ensure ramp assistance is available.
Iarnród Éireann is also developing a dedicated app to support customers who have mobility or sensory impairments, and I provided additional funding for this in 2018. This will be introduced in coming months. The app will allow users to pre-book a journey that confirms they will have assistance by a member of Iarnród Éireann staff at their departure and arrival stations and provide them with support in an emergency.
