99. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Transport the reason the commencement date for the roll out of the N8 orbital bus route linking Blanchardstown with Dublin Airport has been delayed further to 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3199/26]

Sentiment score: -0.07

Blanchardstown is about 14 km away from Dublin Airport and yet we have not had a direct bus route linking the two since 2010. We have heard a number of commitments that this route, the N8 under BusConnects, would be delivered. However, we are now told that the route has been pushed back until 2027. Is it because of a lack of funding that the N8 orbital route from Blanchardstown to Dublin Airport is not being delivered in 2026, as had been committed to?

Sentiment score: 0.04

I will give the Minister a bit of a history of the delays with the N8. I wrote to the NTA in August of 2024 and was told the N8 would be launched in 2025. In April 2025, when I enquired with the NTA about where it was at, I was told it would start in quarter 2 of 2026. In September of last year the Minister said in this Chamber that it could potentially be introduced "within the next year. To be clear, next year, that is, by the end of 2026". That is what the Minister said in September. I wrote to the NTA over Christmas and got a reply on 5 January this year which says that it currently anticipates implementation of phase 9 and specifically the N8 to be in 2027, subject to funding and operational readiness. The Minister has said 2026; that is not what the NTA is telling me. It has obviously assessed a longer timeframe. It is not fair to the commuters who want to get to the airport, or the workers in Dublin 15 who work there. The constant chopping and changing of this deadline is not fair either.

Sentiment score: 0.03

The Minister's answers are consistent but unfortunately they are not consistent with what the NTA told me last week. The Minister is saying the NTA service plan for the year is coming to him. That is great. Is the Minister going to go through that? Can he commit to us here that he is going to say to the NTA that 2027 is not acceptable and that he wants the N8 delivered in 2026? It is clearly flagging what is coming in on its service plan to the Minister. It is going say 2027, a further delay for Dublin 15 commuters. Is the Minister able to commit that he will say to the NTA that is not acceptable and the N8 orbital link has to be delivered in 2026?

Sentiment score: 0.04