I thank Deputy Mac Lochlainn for the question. I am taking it for the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, who cannot be here tonight. The programme for Government includes a clear commitment to engage with relevant stakeholders to establish air connectivity between Dublin and City of Derry airports. The Department of Transport is progressing the preparatory work necessary to establish a Dublin-Derry public service obligation air service in 2026. This service will enhance connectivity for the north west of the island pending progress on an upgrade to the A5 road transport corridor by the Executive, to which the Government has made a €600 million funding commitment. As Deputy Mac Lochlainn will appreciate, significant engagement is required to establish this service. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, has met representatives of Donegal County Council, Derry City and Strabane District Council and City of Derry Airport, where progress on the establishment of this service was discussed. Officials from the Department of Transport are engaging closely with the Department for the Economy in the North, the Department for Transport in the United Kingdom and City of Derry Airport, as well as with the European Commission in relation to any potential state aid implications and obligations. This close engagement will continue over the coming months. Stakeholder engagement is also vital and in this regard a market sounding exercise is being progressed by the Department of Transport for publication in the coming weeks. This exercise will seek views on the specification required to meet expected demand for the service in terms of aircraft capacity, fare structures, frequency and timing of services. It is also expected that this engagement will confirm the interest in and recognised benefits of the PSO air service for stakeholders in Derry and the wider north-west region. As Deputy Mac Lochlainn will know, following this, it is anticipated that a tender for the PSO air service will be published by the Department of Transport early next year, with a view to services commencing by October 2026, or earlier if operationally feasible. The Deputy has been a long-time advocate, to be fair to him. When he and I served in the Seanad, he raised this matter there too. I assure him that the current timetable is the optimal timeline to ensure that the detailed work required to establish a service on this route can be completed so that a new service can be launched successfully. As he knows, the shared island fund is committed to this. I look forward to working with the Deputy and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, on delivering services for the people of the north west.
Sentiment score: 0.41
I understand Deputy Mac Lochlainn's need to get this expedited. He makes a good point about there being no rail and no motorway, and the A5 delay. We should compliment the wonderful Local Link service in Donegal. The Deputy right. I will bring his comments back to the Department officials. I assure him that the current timeline proposed is the optimum one to ensure that important stakeholder engagement and the preparatory work are completed and we can deliver this important service. He is right that we share this. It is an important service that needs to be delivered. It would provide subsidised transport connectivity for the people of Derry and, by extension, Donegal, particularly north-east Donegal. It would also complement the Donegal and Dublin PSO air service which serves the western region of Donegal well. It is important that we have joined-up connectivity for the north west. It will improve transport connectivity. I concur with the Deputy that it is necessary. In addition, the proposed timeline has also taken into account the lead time, which is necessary for the successful carrier to set up operations and sell fares on the new route. I assure the Deputy that, from our end, we will not be delaying this. We all want to see this service up, running, supported and used, because it is critical. I take the Deputy's point on board.
Sentiment score: 0.21
From a policy perspective, the Government announced the national human rights strategy for disabled people on 3 September 2025. Pillar 5 of the strategy, "Transport and Mobility”, contains a number of transport priority actions, which I am proud to say will be led by our Department. The strategy puts great importance on engagement with disabled people. The Minister, Deputy O’Brien, met with members of the disability sector on 29 September last for a constructive dialogue around our shared ambition to ensure 100% transport accessibility in Ireland. I have also met them. The Minister and I welcomed the opportunity to hear views on transport accessibility and the pillar 5 actions at the start of the new strategy. It was a valuable and rewarding exchange with disabled persons organisations, service providers, disability user groups and board representatives from transport operators. I believe that only by engaging with those who have lived experience of disability can we truly remove the barriers they face daily. I commend Ciarán Delaney from Cork, who has briefed me extensively on this very important issue. In short, I want disabled people, whether they live in urban or rural areas, to have the same access to choice in their transport options as everyone else. As Deputy Ó Muirí will know, there are three aspects to improving public transport accessibility: ensuring a universal design approach in all new infrastructure, addressing legacy infrastructure deficits and enabling independent travel. We have an ambitious programme of investment planned for the next five years, all of which will adhere to the principles of universal design and, therefore, help deliver a more inclusive transport network in the years ahead. The real challenge is legacy infrastructure. To give an example, the major accessibility upgrade which opened at Athy station on 4 November was funded from this programme. The Minister has increased funding under the accessibility retrofit programme by 67% this year when compared to last year. We will maintain that increased level of funding under the new NDP.
Sentiment score: 0.42
The Deputy’s points are relevant, and I will take them back to the NTA and Dublin Bus. It is not about making it difficult for people. It is about ensuring they can have accessibility. The work we are doing to make public transport accessible for older or disabled people must not count for nothing. It is about that reliability piece, but it is also about accessibility and not creating a barrier. I will bring that back. The other point that is worth making is that while the retrofit programme is important, if we cannot have the bus stop at the nearest point for people to help them to access public transport, we are missing something. I will certainly bring the Deputy's comments back to the relevant stakeholders.
Sentiment score: 0.04
I thank the Deputies for their comments. I do not have the specific answers to their questions but I will take them back. I thank them for the geography lesson on Dublin city and routes 73 and 123. The points the two Deputies make are very important. If we are asking people to have independent travel and encouraging the 15-minute concept of the city, then older people need to be able to access public transport. There is no point in having free public transport if they cannot access it. The points made by both Deputies are very relevant. In the broader context, it is critical for the NTA to communicate, engage and respond proactively and actively to what the Deputies have raised tonight. It is about the citizen. It is about the active travel user. It is about the disabled person and the older person. The Deputies have very eloquently given testimony on the importance of older people being able to use public transport. I will communicate their views to the NTA. I apologise that I do not have answers to their specific questions, but I will take their views and concerns back.
Sentiment score: 0.22
I thank the Deputy for her question and for her ongoing engagement on the matter of Dublin Bus services. Like her, I am eager to see improvements in real-time tracking, not just of Dublin Bus services, but nationwide across the whole public service obligation, PSO, fleet. The Dublin Bus automatic vehicle location system feeds information to the bus operator's control room, TFI Live app and on-street signs. It dates from 2009. A new automatic vehicle location system is due to be rolled out initially on Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin city buses. I expect this will lead to significant performance improvements and improved quality of information for bus passengers. The NTA is currently in the system-testing phase of the project. As the system is very large and complex, this activity will continue and will be repeated as necessary until the NTA is satisfied that features work as intended and that all major defects are resolved, in order for the NTA to be confident that the solution is fully functional and sufficiently robust to be installed on buses. Subject to the systems successfully passing the detailed testing phases that are under way, a pilot implementation is scheduled to commence early next year. Assuming no issues are found during the pilot, full roll-out on buses in Dublin and other cities will commence next year. The roll-out should be complete in early 2027. In total, approximately 1,800 buses nationwide will have to have the new system installed on them. This is part of a wider effort to update vehicle tracking infrastructure across the PSO fleet and to improve public bus systems through BusConnects in our cities, which will improve both the accessibility and reliability of our bus system, particularly through the construction of core bus corridors.
Sentiment score: 0.28
There is nothing on which I disagree with Deputy Currie regarding the matters she has raised. As she knows, the NTA has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including the development of real-time systems. The Deputy made a good point on the app. The rating is quite poor. To be fair to her and other Members, but her in particular, she has raised the matter repeatedly. I know from talking to people who work and live in Dublin that they are concerned about the lack of real-time information. I will ask the NTA to engage with the Deputy directly on the matters she has raised because, to be fair to her, she deserves an answer, as do the travelling public. If there is no reliability, what we are trying to do will fail completely, particularly in respect of engagement with customers. As the Deputy knows, the NTA has awarded a contract to Trapeze to implement and support national automatic vehicle location for all PSO buses. I will ask it to engage with the Deputy also because it is important that the specialist transport systems company hear from users and public representatives articulating the frustration and views of the travelling public. We are seeing growing demand in public transport, but in tandem with that we need to see the app working because, as the Deputy knows quite well, if confidence in the app is lost, the whole system falls down. I will engage with the Deputy again.
Sentiment score: 0.22
She has made a very fair point. The network redesign and delivery by the NTA has continued over the past four years. It has rolled out the sixth phase of the redesigned bus network in Dublin, which includes state-of-the-art ticketing and providing cashless and account-based ticketing across bus and other public transport networks. We have seen new bus liveries, standardising the exteriors and interiors of buses across bus operators, along with new bus stops and shelters, but also providing enhanced bus stops with better route, fare and timetable information. I will certainly ask the NTA to come back to the Deputy on her point on real-time passenger information. If people have no confidence in real-time passenger information, we are at nothing, leaving the whole system to break down.
Sentiment score: 0.23
I fully concur that a rating of 1.4 on the app is not good enough. I know from my city, Cork, that people are concerned about buses not turning up, be it the late-night bus or the last bus, which the Deputy mentioned. We really have to improve on this. I will ask the NTA to engage directly with the Deputy.
Sentiment score: 0.12
I thank Deputy Timmins for the matter he has raised tonight. As Minister of State in the Department responsible for transport, I recognise the vital role that enhanced connectivity plays in supporting communities across rural Ireland, including in County Wicklow. The Deputy raised it during the last Question Time. I reassure the Deputy that improving the accessibility, reliability and affordability of rural public transport, while ensuring the system remains well-funded and responsive to passenger needs, is a core priority under the programme for Government. The NTA plays a central role in achieving this as it 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. The NTA and the operators, including Bus Éireann, are in continuous dialogue regarding the operational needs, subject to funding and resource availability. The NTA has advised the Department that plans to enhance route 132 are at an advanced stage. The Department of Transport sets the overall policy direction and funding framework for the delivery of public transport services nationwide, including Connecting Ireland, which has delivered over 180 new or improved services since 2022, connecting more than 240 towns and villages to the public transport network. The 2026 PSO funding allocation of €940 million represents a significant 43% uplift in the allocation from last year. This allocation will allow existing public transport services to operate reliably and sustainably throughout the year in the face of growing passenger demand and increased operational costs. In addition, a further €31 million has been secured for rural transport next year, a 38% increase on last year’s funding. This ensures the continued delivery of vital services across rural Ireland to meet demand, especially for the communities most dependent on these services.
Sentiment score: 0.40
I understand the Deputy’s frustration. He is right to be frustrated because it is important that we have connectivity. I am informed that the enhancement of route 132 is planned under Connecting Ireland. Operational decisions regarding service delivery are the responsibility of the NTA in collaboration with transport operators, subject to funding and resource availability. I will happily sit down with the Deputy and talk to him again about this because it is important that we enhance connectivity, do not discommode people further and allow people the convenience of transport connectivity and accessibility. As the Deputy knows quite well, post-budget discussions around the allocation of funding for the PSO programme are ongoing. It entails regular engagement between the NTA and operators on resource needs. I am acutely aware of the issues the Deputy has raised with me both here in the House and in private, and I will certainly work with him to ensure a service between Carnew and Baltinglass so the people of Baltinglass will not be discommoded further. I do not have positive news for the Deputy right now, but I will sit down with him and talk to him further on the matter, because it is important that we enhance Connecting Ireland for the people of the area he has spoken about.
Sentiment score: 0.15
There is no excuse for people missing buses or buses leaving before the scheduled time. It goes back to Deputy Currie’s point about real-time information. The important point is that we have an increase in demand. There is a real commitment by the Government to ensure that the services we operate, particularly in the areas the Deputy mentioned, meet the need. Again, as I said to the Deputy, I will engage with the Deputy, the NTA and Local Link to ensure that we see services and accessibility as part of what he spoke about tonight. It is not about discommoding people but rather, offering accessibility and connectivity, as well as having that choice which we have not seen up to now. As Minister of State with responsibility for rural transport, it is a core priority of mine and of the Department to ensure that commitments in terms of enhancing rural transport are met. I will happily engage with the Deputy further on the matter.
Sentiment score: 0.34
I thank Deputy O'Connell for taking this question. I thank her for the question. Like her, I am eager to see best practice being implemented across our public transport sector, including passenger technology. As we heard from Deputy O’Connell and from Deputy Currie earlier, it is a very important matter. Public transport apps are not simply about having a technological solution for the sake of it. Rather, they are about having information available to people so that they can make the best use of our public transport system, especially those who may be new to it or have difficulty finding the best way of making their journey. It is also about having the confidence and that piece around reliability. The NTA is responsible for several mobile applications, including the TFI Leap Top-Up; the TFI Go mobile ticketing app; TFI Anseo demand-responsive application; and the TFI Live mobile application, which are used for journey planning and for the provision of real-time information to customers. In all cases, the NTA works extensively with the supplier to deliver the best possible result. The NTA has collaborated with other public transport authorities on an app design. As an example, the NTA has worked closely with Transport for Scotland on a redesign of TFI Live. Unfortunately, progress has been slower than anticipated because of a lack of mobile application development capacity with the source supplier. While the TFI Live application does function and does present journey planning and real-time data to customers, the NTA is currently investigating options to expedite improvements to the application to improve the customer experience. One project that will produce improved quality journey data to the TFI Live app is next generation automatic vehicle location, AVL, which replaces five old automatic vehicle location systems with a new centralised solution, to provide higher quality and consistent data outputs to the TFI Live mobile app. This project is going to pilot in March 2026, with the full roll-out taking approximately 12-18 months, which I look forward to seeing happening. I will conclude by saying that people often express their frustration to me about the performance of the app. It is something we need to improve on and work with Members of the House to see this delivered.
Sentiment score: 0.33
The Deputy makes a very good point in the context of that one platform. The NTA has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including the development of the related technological systems. As I said earlier, the NTA has awarded a contract to implement and support a national automatic vehicle location system for all public service obligation buses to Trapeze, which is a specialist transport systems company. It is envisaged the work being done will enable the NTA to consolidate several existing and disparate bus AVL systems into one central system to be used by all PSO bus operators in Ireland. It has expansion capacity to meet the growing demand for public transport in Ireland. The point being made is that we all need to live up to the ambition to make it easier for people to use the app and mobile applications. The Deputy is right. It would be great if we had one platform. The point I need to work more on with the Department is in the context of whether this can be done and, if so, when we can do it. I will take the Deputy's points back and I thank her for raising the matter.
Sentiment score: 0.26
The point that Deputy O'Connell has made in terms of the users' perspective is one we must listen to and recognise. The Members tonight have expressed frustration in terms of ghost buses, lack of real-time information, no buses turning up at all and being late or leaving early. It is an issue we need to have further engagement on by the NTA, with Trapeze and the Department, in the context of how we can make it easy for the travelling public to have an application that functions and that enhances rather than acting as a barrier to their journey planning and usage in respect of the provision of real-time information to the customer. It is the customers who are important, and I thank Deputy O'Connell for representing them tonight. The NTA is currently investigating options to expedite improvements to the application to improve the customer experience. I will bring the comments from Deputy O'Connell and other Members of the House back, and, hopefully, we will see improved quality for the travelling public as a consequence of tonight's questions.
Sentiment score: 0.30
I thank Deputy Burke for his question and his ongoing advocacy on behalf of the people of Mallow. He has been very proactive on the matter. As the Deputy will know, approximately €502 million of Exchequer capital funds has been provided for national roads through TII to local authorities this year. Included in this is an allocation of €700,000 for the Mallow relief road, which is progressing towards the completion of a preliminary business case and planning application. This scheme consists of a northern bypass of Mallow, with the objective of removing traffic travelling between Killarney and Mitchelstown or Fermoy from the town centre. This scheme is a priority for me and for the Minister, Deputy O'Brien and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, because as the Deputy knows, through his ongoing engagement and that of Councillor Liam Madden working with him, there is a real need for this road to be prioritised and developed. This will provide increased scope for development and public realm improvements in Mallow town centre, greatly improving the benefits for residents. The people of Mallow will also benefit from reduced congestion and improved air quality. Reduced congestion in the town centre will encourage walking and cycling and improve safety. The project will also act as an enabler for compact growth in the centre of Mallow, which is a national strategic outcome. The project is currently in the design and environmental evaluation phase, which follows the conclusion of the route selection process. As part of this phase, there was a minor change of route at the western end of the scheme due to an interface with a Gas Networks Ireland transmission main and to reduce the level of impact caused by the earthworks. Cork County Council aims to complete a preliminary business case for the project by the end of this year. Subject to a satisfactory review by TII of the preliminary business case, it is expected that an application for planning permission for this project will be submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála in the second quarter of 2026. I look forward to working with Deputy Burke to ensure the project progresses and reaches a satisfactory conclusion.
Sentiment score: 0.37
I share Deputy Burke's view that we expedite this as fast as we can. He is right; it is an important infrastructure piece. I have not got the answer regarding the Gas Networks Ireland interface. I will certainly ask the NTA to communicate with the Deputy because he is right. The relief road project will provide an enormous benefit to the town of Mallow. The Deputy has, with Councillor Liam Madden, been very strong in his advocacy. Businesses in the area have been equally as vociferous in pressing for the bypass to be built as quickly as possible. I am, with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and the Department, committed to ensuring for the people of Mallow that the Mallow relief road is built as quickly possible. The Deputy rightly highlighted the gridlock in the area. I was there recently. I had to drive from Fermoy to Knocknagree. I went through Mallow and it is a bottleneck. This road will bring huge economic improvement, not just to Mallow and its people but to the wider region. I look forward to working to ensure we expedite the project.
Sentiment score: 0.25
The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, like Deputy Burke and I, will be familiar with and recognise the importance of the N20 project. It is critical and it is lacking. It is the deficit in the infrastructure connecting the western corridor. People rightly complain from many perspectives but, from an economic perspective, it is absolutely imperative that we advance the motorway and that Cork-Limerick road. Equally, I concur with the Deputy in the context of the importance of infrastructure being improved in the Mallow area. I suppose it is the gateway to many areas in the Munster region. Given its location, as the Deputy rightly said, Mallow has substantial volumes of north, south, east and west traffic. It is important that we alleviate the traffic congestion and allow for that flow and enhanced connectivity between Cork, Limerick and Galway. We have seen the benefit of it in terms of Galway to Limerick and I will certainly be pushing the officials in the NTA and the Department with regard to the issues we have raised here tonight. I thank Deputy Burke for his work and his advocacy in working with Councillor Liam Madden on this particular project. This is a critical piece, dovetailing with the Cork-Limerick motorway.
Sentiment score: 0.15
I will certainly do that.
Sentiment score: 0.34