A briefing document for the new transport minister, Darragh O’Brien, says services have been running out of money and needing supplementary budgets before the end of each year despite the annual allocations growing annually.

“The programme is currently struggling to fund existing levels of service, the expansion of services under BusConnects and Connecting Ireland and also to continue to fund fare initiatives such as the 20pc reduction in general fares which was introduced as a cost of living measure, the Young Adult Card, and the recently announced expansion of free travel for children,” the document says.

“The Department believes that the programme’s strained funding position warrants further, detailed, examination and discussion with Department of Public Expenditure to develop a sustainable pathway for the programme in the years ahead.”

Funding to run the services is not the only issue – money for new public transport projects is also short.

The document says major projects including MetroLink, BusConnects and Dart+ are taking up available funding with little left for other projects.

“The funding deficit is particularly acute in relation to public transport over the period 2026 to 2030,” it says.

The issue is critical as it is acknowledged that greenhouse gas emissions from transport have been rising and climate commitments will not be met unless growing demand is met by public transport or zero emission alternatives.

“Compliance at EU or national level will not be possible unless future growth in transport demand is primarily serviced via sustainable modes,” it says.

The Department has commissioned research to try to understand better what makes people reluctant to switch from their cars to active travel or public transport.

“A separate piece of work is also under way to review the role of car advertising and car labelling in promoting a car-centric mindset,” it says.

It notes that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have “highlighted the regulation of car advertising as having the potential to mitigate emissions”.

The briefing addresses criticisms of the annual allocation to councils for walking and cycling infrastructure which this year is less than the “one million euros a day” promise of the previous coalition.

It says the previous annual allocations of €360 million were “falsely inflated” “over-allocations” as the local authorities could not spend the full amounts.

This year’s allocation of €297m was closer to the actual amount spent so the reduction was only a “perceived cut”.

The Department has various regulatory changes under way and is developing strategies both for the regulation of increasing drone activity and for the introduction of driverless autonomous vehicles.

Another project it is planning includes allowing prospective car buyers access to information about vehicles that would influence their purchase.

The document says the plan is to “develop a solution to provide digital confirmation of the tax and roadworthiness status of vehicles to the public through registration plate search”.