1. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Transport the measures he is taking to ensure regional and national roads in Kerry are adequately maintained; if he has considered conducting a review into the state of the regional and national road network in Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23023/25]
Sentiment score: 0.13
What measures is the Minister for Transport taking to ensure that regional and national roads in County Kerry are adequately maintained? Has he considered conducting a review into the state of the regional and national road networks, particularly in Kerry? Will he make a statement on the matter?
Sentiment score: 0.14
I thank the Minister for the reply. There is a danger with Government announcements and there was such an announcement on 28 March. Those announcements often include a boast about funding but when the details are checked, it does not seem that there is enough there and there is no delivery. Many people feel they are only being codded. While I recognise that some progress has been made, the reality is that progress has been too slow. The Minister mentioned the N86. It came up recently at a meeting of Kerry County Council that all that will be done for the N86 will be the provision of some extra fencing. There is money allocated for fencing on that road. There are other issues in Kerry. I am regularly contacted by constituents about Listry Bridge, which is on one of the main tourist routes in the county between Killarney and Dingle. This very busy tourist route suddenly narrows into one lane over a bridge. There have been multiple collisions on that bridge over the past few years. There are also concerns about the tightening of the road in Fossa. It seems there is good funding available in the plan but delivery on the ground is causing concern.
Sentiment score: 0.00
There are concerns among engineers in Kerry. One concern is that they had tender documents available for the bridge near Glenbeigh National School and between Ballinclare and Ballinasare on the Dingle road. Tender documents were available and all the work was done but suddenly the funding that was believed to be available was cut. I also raise the issue of local improvement schemes, LIS. As far as I can tell, their funding has been slashed for 2025. I raised the matter with the Deputy's colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Calleary, in March but am still waiting for an answer. People from all over Kerry, including Listry, Asdee, Ballyconry and Dromod, have raised the issue. It seems there was kite-flying by local Government-supporting Ministers. It seems that funding has been slashed by 52%. When we received the figures, the allocation for 2024 and 2025 was €2.6 million, but the 2024 spend was €1.7 million. When we subtract one figure from the other, we are left with €821,000, which is a decrease in funding. Will the Minister confirm there was a decrease for LIS roads? What was the thinking behind that? Another version of events has been given to the people of Kerry.
Sentiment score: -0.03
3. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Transport the efforts he is making to improve the experience of commuters on public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23024/25]
Sentiment score: 0.15
What efforts is the Minister making to improve the experience of commuters on public transport? The performance of public transport operators is closely monitored by the National Transport Authority, NTA. The Minister previously said on certain routes buses were late and even not turning up at too great a frequency and that the NTA was carrying out a review of the incidents that had taken place. Has that review been completed? Does he have it? There are concerns across the country about the transport system and its difficulties.
Sentiment score: 0.16
I thank the Minister for the reply. We have seen that, where services have been provided, the increase in passenger numbers has been up to 50% on some routes. People want services to be affordable, accessible and reliable. I spoke recently to some students from UL who travel up and down to Kerry. On a Friday, the Dublin coach regularly does not turn up and they are left to get the next bus or even the bus after that. What is the Minister doing to address the situation? Is he monitoring the scourge of ghost buses, not only in Dublin but in the rest of the country as well? In the recent revision of the national planning framework, there was an opportunity to address the infrastructural deficits. As has become the hallmark of this Government, another opportunity was missed because there is no national policy objective to address regional connectivity and transport specifically. People who want to get public transport up the west from, say, Kerry to Sligo and beyond have to change buses a number of times. Even students, if one bus is late, are punished and have to buy another ticket, even though they are relying on the same Bus Éireann service to continue on that journey.
Sentiment score: 0.09
I have two final questions. First, the last time we debated on Oral Questions I asked the Minister to explicitly rule out public transport fare increases. Has he come to a decision on that? The second question has been rumbling on since Covid. It seems that in the transport plan, there is a policy to have a food and drinks ban on train services to the west. For people travelling, students, old age pensioners, everyone - even five or six TDs get the train up from the west - they cannot get any food or drink on those trains. The Minister will say it is a matter for Iarnród Éireann but he is Minister for Transport. We have received assurances in recent years. That the tender would be awarded in early 2024 was mentioned. A response from Irish Rail said that though the tendering process was in its advanced stages, the NTA had yet to make a funding decision on it. People get up early in the morning and have to wait four hours without even a glass of water on the train. We received responses in February and May but the service is still not restored.
Sentiment score: 0.02