A significant number of people across my county of Cork are growing increasingly frustrated by the slow progress on public transport delivery, in particular when it comes to BusConnects and next generation ticketing. I commend the Minister's Department, Irish Rail and Bus Éireann on the improvements have been made because they must be recognised. My job as a Deputy for Cork is to try to progress that even more, in particular regarding BusConnects and next generation ticketing. BusConnects was presented as a major transformation of our bus system, promising reliable services, better connectivity, more frequent routes and infrastructure that would finally make public transport a realistic option for more and more people. Many years after these commitments were first announced, many communities right across Cork still feel they are waiting for meaningful progress on the ground. Commuters continue to experience, as my colleague has said, overcrowding, delays, unreliable timetables and long journey times. This is having an impact on workers, students and families who are spending far too much time stuck in traffic because public transport alternatives are simply not improving quickly enough. Regarding next generation ticketing, in 2026 it should be absolutely acceptable to ask that passengers can get on a train or bus and seamlessly tap a bank card or their phone across the public transport network in a way that has become standard practice across many European cities. This technology is not revolutionary in any way; it is basic modern transport infrastructure. This is not simply about convenience. Faster boarding reduces delays, improves journey times and makes bus services more efficient overall. It also makes public transport easier and more attractive to use, in particular for occasional passengers and tourists. As I said, progress has been made in public transport right across Cork city and county, but we have a long way to go, in particular regarding next generation ticketing and BusConnects.

Sentiment score: 0.33