I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Community Care
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta O'Donnell, as ucht teacht isteach maidin inniu chun déileáil leis an ní seo, a bhaineann le Westgate Foundation i mBaile an Chollaigh i gCorcaigh. Tá sé riachtanach go ndéanfar gach aon iarracht na seirbhísí iontacha atá á soláthar ag Westgate Foundation a chosaint. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as an obair ar fad atá déanta aige ar son Westgate Foundation agus as an gcuairt a thug sé air i mí an Mhárta chun na seirbhísí ar fad a fheiscint agus chun bualadh leis an bhfoireann bainistíochta, chomh maith le lucht bainistíochta HSE.
Mar is eol don Aire Stáit, is fíorthábhachtach an rud é cinnteacht a thabhairt do Westgate Foundation faoi thodhchaí na heagraíochta agus seans a thabhairt don fhoireann bainistíochta na seirbhísí a fhorbairt i gcomhréir leis na riachtanais atá ag dul i méid i measc daoine aosta inár bpobal i mBaile an Chollaigh agus sna ceantair mórthimpeall orainn. Ballincollig is a very special place. It is a thriving and progressive town with a fantastic community spirit, a culture of volunteerism and a strong sense of togetherness and inclusion. At the heart of our community, quietly catering for the needs of our senior citizens, is the Westgate Foundation. Westgate provides invaluable services to our senior citizens and the areas surrounding Ballincollig. These services include a day care programme led by nurses and healthcare assistants, community catering with meals-on-wheels, social activities and transport.
The work done by the team at Westgate Foundation enables older people in our community to stay at home and live independently while maintaining a vital social connection. The services provided give Westgate clients the support they need to maintain and enjoy this independence. Without the provision of these community-based services, there is no doubt that the likelihood of elderly service users requiring home care packages and nursing home support would increase significantly. A majority of service users have considerable health challenges associated with growing old, including dementia, declining mobility, and the adverse impacts of social isolation.
As the Minister of State is aware, Westgate Foundation is reliant on section 39 State funding, administered through the HSE South West, to provide services to senior citizens. It has become increasingly apparent over the past number of years that the funding provided through the service level agreement is no longer sufficient to maintain services at their current levels. This issue has been dealt with at irregular intervals and on an ad hoc basis by the HSE in recent years when it has been recognised that the core funding provided is inadequate and top-up payments of various amounts have been made in an effort to ensure the continuity the services.
As the Minister of State is aware, one of the primary reasons for the increased costs being borne by Westgate Foundation is related to the fact that the organisation had been heavily dependent on the community employment scheme, which is an unsustainable position given that the economy is effectively operating at full employment. It is of a crucial importance that Westgate is given the financial support and certainty from the State that it needs to ensure its future and long-term viability at the heart of the Ballincollig community. The Minister of State will be aware from his recent visit that there are long waiting lists for services. These waiting lists are primarily administered through HSE referrals and public health nurses locally.
That lends further emphasis to the fact that needs are growing and there is increasing demand in the community. Financial certainty is required on a long-term basis to ensure the viability of the organisation. I thank the Minister of State for the support he has given thus far in relation to these challenges.
Before I call on the Minister of State, I would like to acknowledge Senator Kelleher's parents in the Gallery. It is great to see them here for the Senator's debate.
I join the Leas-Chathaoirleach in welcoming the Kellehers to the Seanad, which is a beautiful building in its own right.
I thank Senator Kelleher for raising this important matter. He has advocated for Westgate Foundation over a sustained period of time and that has to be acknowledged. I know the work it does is close to his heart. I know first-hand because I visited the Westgate Foundation centre with him. I found it to be warm and engaging and it provides a great service to its community. I thank all the people involved.
It is a key priority for the Government to support older people to remain living independently in their own homes and communities for as long as possible with dignity, choice and appropriate supports. The triangle of supports of home care, day care and meals on wheels services — including dementia-specific supports — plays a vital role in helping older people to age well in their own communities. Meals on wheels services provide much more than nutritious meals. They are an invaluable resource in helping older people maintain their health and independence while also addressing social isolation. The services benefit not only those who receive meals, but also their families, who gain reassurance from regular contact and support for their loved ones. Day care services are similarly an essential component of social care provision. They provide opportunities for social engagement, health monitoring and community participation for older people who may otherwise be at risk of isolation and loneliness.
The Government has significantly increased investment in meals on wheels services in recent years. Funding increased from €3.5 million in 2022 to €6.25 million in 2025, with a further €2 million allocated in budget 2026 to support service expansion and maintenance. Nationally, almost 2.94 million meals were delivered in 2025, while funding has been allocated to deliver 3.3 million meals during 2026.
To the Senator's specific point, the HSE advises that Westgate Foundation plays an important role in supporting older people in their communities through the provision of day care and meals on wheels services. From visiting with the Senator, I have seen that at first hand. The organisation currently operates a day care service four days per week, supporting approximately 60 registered users, and a meals on wheels service with 104 registered users.
The HSE has advised that increased funding has been committed to support the organisation. Total funding of over €520,000 was provided in 2025, while agreed funding for 2026 amounts to almost €686,000, including core section 39 funding, once-off supports, WRC funding and meals on wheels funding. In addition, Westgate Foundation received €25,000 under the community capital programme.
The HSE continues to engage closely with the organisation regarding its operational and financial position, staffing arrangements and service delivery needs to older people in the area. I welcome the ongoing engagement between HSE South West and Westgate Foundation and I look forward to the continued provision of these valuable services for older people and their families in the greater Ballincollig area. I understand meetings will take place in the coming days between HSE South West and Westgate Foundation. It is a hugely important service that Westgate Foundation provides. I know how committed the Senator is to advocating on its behalf.
I thank the Minister of State for his response and acknowledge the behind-the-scenes work going on between the HSE management in the south-west region and the management team at Westgate, which is crucial.
I neglected to mention one thing in my initial contribution, of which the Minister of State will be well aware. It was opportune he came down and visited, given he is also a Minister of State in the Department of housing. It is the fact that Westgate provides housing and sheltered housing. I mentioned in my opening remarks that there is a strong voluntary and community spirit. One service user and resident in Westgate is in her 90s and is an active member of Ballincollig Tidy Towns. She is somebody of whom we as a community are very proud. The fact she is in Westgate and able to participate and volunteer at local level speaks volumes about the independence it affords to people.
There is an ongoing conversation in Cork on the development of light rail, the Luas line, with Ballincollig being on the western side of that. A lot of people contacting me locally were lobbying for the extension of the Luas line further west and one of the key reasons was to include Westgate. It is recognised Westgate is at the heart of the community.
I emphasise again the urgency with which this must be dealt with. It is a matter of immediate concern to the management team in Westgate and it is causing stress. We need to deliver certainty and predictability so the future of the organisation can be guaranteed.
I again thank the Senator for raising Westgate Foundation in Ballincollig and the work it does on behalf of the community, particularly older people. The Senator referred to housing on-site. It is very much an integrated model. I could see how committed the staff and the board, many of them voluntary, were.
The HSE has confirmed it continues to work closely with the Westgate Foundation regarding its operational and financial position. Meetings have taken place between the HSE and Westgate in relation to organisational and funding requirements, staffing arrangements and service delivery. Further meetings are to take place in the coming days between HSE South West and Westgate Foundation to discuss the situation. The shared objective of the HSE and Westgate Foundation is to ensure high-quality day care and meals on wheels services continue to be available to older people who rely on them, particularly in the greater Ballincollig area. These services make a real difference to the lives of older people, helping them remain connected, supported and independent in their communities.
I welcome the continued engagement between HSE and Westgate Foundation and look forward to seeing these important services maintained and strengthened for the benefit of older people and their families in the greater Ballincollig area.
School Accommodation
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Harkin. I want to discuss Coláiste Daibhéid in Cork city, which is a fantastic school I had the privilege of visiting recently. Bhí an-áthas orm bualadh leis an scoil agus na daltaí le déanaí, chomh maith leis an bpríomhoide agus leis an bhfoireann, chun plé a dhéanamh ar go leor ceisteanna trí Ghaeilge. Tá súil agam go mór go mbeidh muid in ann dul chun cinn a dhéanamh maidir le foirgneamh nua don scoil. Ta géarghá leis an bhfoirgneamh nua. Ba mhór an t-ábhar imní é an t-uisce ag sceitheadh ón díon a fheiceáil, chomh maith leis na buicéid a chuirtear amach chun an uisce a bhailiú. Tá sé seo ar fad ag tarlú gar do cháblaí leictreachais. Is ceist sláinte agus sábháilteachta í seo. Tá géarghá leis an bhfoirgneamh nua seo don scoil.
Will the Minister of State provide an update on what has been done to progress the request for additional school accommodation for Coláiste Daibhéid in Cork city and a timeline for the project? The school's preference is option 1B, to ensure a hall, canteen and ASD hub can be provided, while also addressing accessibility, safety and serious roof leak issues. Some 23 leaks have been identified in one part of the school currently, which is worrying, and a lot of them are affecting electricity cables. This is worrying for staff and students. Coláiste Daibhéid is a Gaelcholáiste, ann Irish-medium second level school, which provides the students of Cork city and surrounding areas access to a co-educational, multi-denominational educational opportunity through Irish. The school's patron is the Cork Education and Training Board, CETB. It reaches high standards academically as well as in sport, STEM and stewardship. It has fantastic students and they deserve better.
At present, the school is on the edge of Douglas Street Campus on Sawmill Street. There are two buildings. One is Buckingham House, which dates from the mid-19th century. It is a protected building with a first floor that is only accessible by a stairs. It houses practical subjects, offices and work areas. The second building, known as an t-áras, was completed in 2011. It has eight classrooms with toilet facilities. The first floor is accessed by stairs and a lift.
What are the problems? Buckingham House is not fit for purpose for a school. When I visited, I noticed some of the following issues. It cannot be accessed from the road. There are parking issues. There is not enough room for a wheelchair to go around the side of the building. There is no obvious proper entrance. The reception is upstairs. There is no lift access for anyone with mobility issues, buggies or deliveries. The classrooms are an irregular shape and are not the standard classroom size of 49 sq. m. There are inadequate corridor space, uneven floor levels and an unsatisfactory ASD room and it is necessary to go through one classroom to access another. It is cold, with high heating costs and the pipes burst regularly. The woodwork room has no machinery. The home economics room is too small and has no storage area. There is a lack of storage space in general.
What is the school seeking? An application for additional accommodation for the school was first raised in January 2020. Since then, it has been waiting for updates. The latest report was submitted in August 2025 and the school wants the Minister of State's help to move the project to a stage 1B meeting with the Department. The aim would be to move the process to a joint stage 2A and 2B to advance the project at a rapid pace but the preferred building plan option is option 1B.
I would like to hear the Minister of State's response on this. I thank her for attending this morning.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Harmon for raising this issue as it gives me the opportunity to update the House on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth on the current position regarding the planned school building project at Coláiste Daibhéid, Cork. As the Senator said, her question is a ceist sláinte agus sábháiblteachta.
An extension project at the school has been approved to enter the Department's pipeline for school building projects under the additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme to provide one multimedia room, one textiles room, one graphics room, one construction room, one technology preparation area, one science laboratory, one science laboratory preparation area and one project store. The feasibility of a physical education, PE, hall or general purpose-dining hall accommodation on the site is also to be explored as part of the design process. This project is devolved to the Cork Education and Training Board, CETB, for delivery.
The stage 1 preliminary design report, outlining the proposed design and costings, has been submitted to the Department and is currently under review. In line with the Department’s infrastructure guidelines, all projects, including this one, are subject to the necessary technical and cost assessments as part of this process. Given the complexity of the evaluation, and the need to ensure full cost compliance and alignment with the national development plan, NDP, this review is necessarily thorough. Once the review is complete, the outcome will be communicated to CETB, which will continue to engage directly with the school authorities to ensure they are kept fully informed of progress.
Although this project is not included in the first tranche of school building projects under the NDP sectoral investment plan, it remains part of the Department’s overall pipeline. A Department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline. The process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme roll-out.
The Department-led energy and condition survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities. A further tranche of projects to progress to tender is expected to be confirmed in 2027. As prioritisation continues, additional projects may be included where justified by urgency and readiness to proceed, and subject to funding. Opportunities for advance enabling works will also be considered for the most urgent and complex projects to support delivery from 2028 onwards.
Do I still have time? The clock is red.
You still have 30 seconds. It is just counting down.
Furthermore, priority projects at earlier stages of the pipeline continue to be advanced - the Senator probably needs to hear that - with particular emphasis on special schools, schools operating entirely in interim accommodation, projects providing significant special education capacity, additional accommodation to meet demographic growth, and schools with the most pressing building condition issues.
I thank the Minister of State for her response. Will she call for a meeting in person with the school? Could that be facilitated to give the school an update in person? Does she have an idea as to a commitment on the timeline? In order that I have clarity on the timeline, did she say it will be considered in the next tranche in 2026-27 or will it be confirmed in 2028?
I reiterate the value the school brings to Cork in the education it provides. It was a pleasure to meet the principal, Mr. Tadhg Ó Laighin, and the students, recently. I have heard from many parents who are concerned, particularly about the safety issues. I have a serious concern. They need to be addressed without delay because there is an accident waiting to happen with these leaks and the water going onto the electricity cables. It is a matter of utmost urgency.
As I said, a further tranche of projects to progress to tender is expected to be confirmed next year. I gave a list of the types of priority projects that will be looked at. They include special schools, schools operating entirely in interim accommodation, projects providing significant special education capacity, additional accommodation to meet demographic growth, and schools with the most pressing building condition issues - that seems to be what the Senator is describing.
Regarding meetings with the Minister, I am not in a position to commit to that.
Obviously, if that is what the Senator is looking for, she can contact the Minister. I will send the Minister a note stating that is what she is looking for. As she and I know, it will be up to her to organise it. I thank her for providing me, on behalf of the Minister, an opportunity to outline the Department's position on the project. The Department remains committed to providing ongoing guidance and practical support in the delivery of this project and will continue to engage closely with patron bodies, management bodies and schools on the progression of projects through the school building pipeline. This includes continued engagement with Coláiste Daibhéid and Cork ETB.
Road Projects
I thank the Minister of State for being here today. Over the past few years and during my time as a councillor, there have been many changes to the roads in my area. It led me to ask the Minister to undertake a comprehensive review of the design manual for urban roads and streets, commonly known as DMURS. I appreciate the principles behind DMURS are good ones. We all want safer roads, lower vehicle speeds, where appropriate, better facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, and communities that are more accessible and more sustainable. However, while the policy objectives are commendable, there is increasing concern that the implementation of DMURS in some locations has gone too far and is creating unintended consequences.
These concerns are being raised repeatedly by residents in my area. For example, in Tallaght, Firhouse and Ballyroan, people are telling me that the road and junction narrowing has led to increased congestion, longer journey times and frustration on the part of motorists, while also making it more difficult for buses, delivery vehicles and larger vehicles to navigate safely. They are not isolated complaints. They are concerns that are being expressed consistently by people in my area. On Firhouse Road West, residents have raised concerns during the delivery of active travel measures that the narrowing of junctions creates delays and operational difficulties. The response they got was that the design complied with DMURS, the national guidance, and that the narrowing was intended to reduce speeding without affecting capacity. Independent road safety audits were also carried out. I looked at one particular junction where cars were constantly overshooting white lines. It was very confusing and difficult for motorists.
The proposed removal of village car parking under DMURS creates significant challenges. We have just gone through a Part 8 public consultation process in Tallaght where the Tallaght village on-street car parking is being removed. Many villages have limited on-street car parking already and public transport is not really up to scratch to facilitate people's needs. People rely on convenient parking to support local businesses, residents, older people and visitors. Reducing parking without providing practical alternatives risks harming accessibility, weakens village centres and places unnecessary pressure on local economies.
While I acknowledge the council's position, many local people's lived experience has been different from what has been said about DMURS. We are seeing queues building up at peak times, greater difficulty accessing side roads and a road network that is becoming less efficient for everyone who depends on it. The issue is not whether we should provide safe infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists; we should. It is not about reversing active travel investment. It is about ensuring that road design is proportionate, flexible and responsive to the needs of each community.
At the moment projects are continuing to be rolled out in Tallaght. It is important that we evaluate what is working well and where adjustments are needed. The time has come for a review of DMURS. We need to examine whether excessive road narrowing is contributing to congestion, the impact on emergency services, buses and commercial traffic, whether local authorities have sufficient flexibility to adapt designs to local conditions and whether post-construction views should become standard practice so that schemes can be amended where genuine problems arise.
I reiterate that the removal of car parking is causing huge difficulty. People are frustrated and annoyed. I am seeing what I would say is a waste of money in some locations. Footpaths have been changed and there are potholes in roads. Something needs to be changed.
I thank Senator Costello for raising this matter. The Government is committed to preserving our existing roads network. This is demonstrated through the Department of Transport's provision of regular grant funding to eligible local authorities.
By statute, local authorities are responsible for the maintenance and improvement of the regional and local roads present in their respective areas of responsibility. Any work undertaken on these roads is funded by the resources of the local authority concerned and, where eligible, this is supplemented by the Department of Transport's regional and local roads grant programme. The initial selection and prioritisation of work to be funded is a matter for local authorities. Our regional and local roads play a critical role in supporting economic activity and community links. As a result, the regional and local roads grant programme is primarily targeted at the maintenance and renewal of our existing roads network, with the remainder invested in new road projects, the rehabilitation of bridges, climate adaptation and safety improvements. The funds available through this programme have been steadily increasing in recent years. In 2026, €718 million was made available, which will facilitate an increase of €26 million for road protection and renewal throughout Ireland.
I come to the core of the issue the Senator raised. The design manual for urban roads and streets, DMURS, was jointly prepared by the Department of Transport and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in 2013. It places well-designed streets at the centre of our communities by supporting broader environmental, planning and transport objectives. It promotes highly connected, attractive and safe streets that encourage walking and cycling, support vibrant communities, and use design measures to calm traffic and create a safer, more people-focused environment.
DMURS is a living document and is updated as required. A review of it was undertaken in May 2019, with many chapters amended. In addition to this review, six advice notes have been prepared on various aspects, such as transition zones, materials and specifications, geometric design and quality audits. The most recent advice notes on urban drainage and junction tightening were prepared in 2023. This year, work commenced on a review of all minimum standards, guidelines and regulations that apply to the public transport network where it interacts with the built environment, including DMURS, as part of the national human rights strategy for disabled people.
The Department of Transport has prepared a programme for the review of DMURS - which is what the Senator is talking about - alongside other standards and guidelines that apply to the public transport network where it interacts with associated built environment with regard to accessibility. The first meeting took place in March 2026 and included members of disabled persons' organisations. The Department is in the process of assembling an expert group to co-ordinate and lead the review.
The current programme assumes the publication of a strategic report with recommendations in quarter 2 of 2027. This date is subject to the progress of the review process. Following approval of the national human rights strategy for disabled people review, action 71 of the Sustainable Mobility Policy Action Plan 2026-2030 commits to the review of DMURS by 2030.
From this, it is evident that the DMURS is not a static manual, but is continually updated and informed by road users, interested groups and experts.
I am a road user. My constituents who are road users do not feel it is being informed by them. There is frustration in the community. There is congestion, roads are being narrowed and buses passing each other are clipping their mirrors. The DMURS is not up to scratch. Money is being wasted unnecessarily. If disability groups are being included, I recommend that somebody who is blind is included as well. I say this because I did a walk around Tallaght with a blind man and the navigation of the roads was not up to scratch.
People are being forced out of their cars with all of this. That is what it feels like, and we are not there yet with transport. We are talking about banning e-scooters, but we do not have the alternatives. We have to respect people’s lived experience, their lives and how they navigate them comfortably and not leave them frustrated and angry over changes I feel are unnecessary a lot of time.
When the Senator speaks, I know she is reflecting the views of the people she represents and what she hears. The objective of the DMURS is to have well-designed streets accessible to all forms of road users. Furthermore, there is a growing appreciation that our streets are not just spaces designed to facilitate the movement of traffic, but spaces where people should want to live and to spend time. I hear what the Senator is saying about blind people. I will certainly convey the Senator's point to the Minister in this regard to make sure they are included in any ongoing consultation or negotiations.
It is important to say, however, that the DMURS is a living document and there is always the opportunity to respond to changes in transport options, in priorities and in new technologies. Significant funding has been provided by the Department for our regional and local roads each year. This does not mean that I am not hearing what the Senator is saying. I will bring her concerns back to the Minister because sometimes concerns are national, sometimes they are regional and sometimes they are local. Regardless of where they come from, however, they have to be dealt with. I will bring this issue back to the Minister.
Bus Services
I thank the Minister of State for coming in to take my question. She is very welcome.
I am standing here to ask her if she can, and I really hope she will be able to, clarify for the people of Limerick what is going on with Limerick BusConnects. To give the Minister of State the background, BusConnects was first mooted more than a decade ago. The public in Limerick, including employers, members of pedestrian and cycling organisations, traders, all the different city centre stakeholders and councillors, would have been consulted on this great vision for public transport in Limerick since about 2020. It was finally unveiled for us in December 2023. We were told originally that this project was going to be delivered in 2025.
I am out on the doors in Limerick every week and frustration with the public transport service in Limerick comes up everywhere and repeatedly. I have parents complaining that they cannot give their teenagers a little bit of freedom and let them off to go somewhere on the bus, so they have to play taxi. I have students genuinely upset that they have to pay for petrol or diesel. We do not have sufficient cycle lanes and routes everywhere across the city, so they have to drive the short distance into the university or into one of our many institutes of learning because they cannot get the bus. Of course, I also have employers speaking to me. I would have been very familiar with the employer perspective in the past in my role as an employer representative. Employers cannot take on people unless they have a car because their particular place of employment is not serviced by public transport. Workers are frustrated that they cannot get to work on a bus. They would like to be saving some money with the cost of living by using public transport. Generally speaking, people feel that they pay taxes, work hard and hold up their end of the bargain, so they want to know why they cannot use public services and avail of a proper bus system in Limerick.
We have had many different and conflicting reports on when BusConnects is going to be delivered. I really hope the Minister of State will be able to bring clarity to this subject today. We were first told it was going to be happening in 2025, then it was going to be in 2026, and more recently we were told it was going to be 2028. I am nearly even afraid to say it out loud but in the last month, I have heard that it could be 2030, which is unthinkable.
Can the Minister of State please tell us what is holding us back and the reason for the delay? Has the local authority completed all the works it needs to do to run the system? Has the city centre transport plan been finalised with the mayor? It has been on his desk and I know his team has been liaising with the National Transport Authority, NTA, for over two years on it. Has the Department funded the project? Has the NTA hired the mechanics and drivers? I ask these questions because this is like the Spider-Man meme. When I start asking questions, all these organisations start pointing at each other and give me all the reasons I outlined as to why BusConnects has not been delivered. Perhaps the Minister of State can clarify the answers to some of those questions for us now. Ultimately, all I want to know is when BusConnects will be operational.
I thank the Senator for her question. Let us see what answer I can provide for her. On behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank Senator Ryan for the opportunity to discuss BusConnects in Limerick. I will also use the opportunity to highlight sustainable mobility developments in Leitrim - I am sorry, I must have been thinking of my own constituency - in Limerick more generally.
The Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area transport strategy was developed by the NTA to deliver an accessible, integrated transport network that enables the sustainable growth of Limerick up to 2040. This includes the development of the Limerick BusConnects programme. Good progress has been made in delivering the strategy, including BusConnects Limerick. In 2023, the NTA carried out an extensive review of the Limerick bus network. This review was conducted in collaboration with Limerick City and County Council, Clare County Council and Bus Éireann, and was supported by the specialised expertise of transport system designers Jarrett Walker and Associates. Following public consultation, the NTA published its final new bus network for Limerick in December 2023. The redesign of the bus network is one of the nine key elements of BusConnects Limerick that aim to transform the city’s bus system, making public transport more useful to more people. The new bus network will enable more people to avail of public transport, resulting in increased access to a greater number of schools and workplaces across Limerick City. Overall, 41% of residents will live within 400 m of a high-frequency bus route running every 15 minutes or better. Limerick is the first city in Ireland with a fully electrified bus service, with two phases of charger installation works having come on stream at Roxboro bus depot during 2024 and 61 zero-emission buses in active passenger service today.
Regarding future phases of BusConnects Limerick, and the BusConnects programme across the cities more generally, the NTA will publish its detailed national development plan, NDP, implementation plan later this year, which will set out the elements of the programme to be progressed in the coming years within available funding to 2030. This follows on from the publication of the NDP sectoral investment plan by the Department of Transport last November and the publication of the NDP review last July.
In addition to bus-based improvements, the Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area transport strategy also recommends a number of improvements to rail infrastructure, including a new rail station at Moyross. Planning permission for this station was received from Limerick City and County Council in November 2025, with procurement preparation now under way. Other rail interventions include increasing the frequency of services on the Ballybrophy line to up to two trains per hour, double-tracking of the line from Limerick Junction to Colbert Station and the upgrading of Colbert Station, which was successfully completed in November 2024.
The public is now benefiting from these improved facilities, including the new ticket offices, toilets, bus concourse, set-down area and car park. The NDP sectoral plan also allocates funding for the delivery of a number of priority rail projects by 2030 as identified by the rail project prioritisation strategy published last December with the assistance of the European Investment Bank.
Having heard my account of what is going on the ground in Limerick, the Minister of State will understand why I am really disappointed with that response. The NTA will be publishing an implementation plan by the end of this year. Is she joking me? What in the name of God is going on in the NTA? Clearly, it has no interest in Limerick. It has no interest in delivering the public transport needs we have and serving our needs in Limerick. What happens in there when they are faced with a tough question and asked why they have not done something yet? Do they say they will do another implementation plan? We are sick of plans in Limerick. We want delivery. We are clear on this. The NTA in its response also sounds like it is kind of blaming the Department saying it will engage with the Department on funding this. We have been told separately by the Department that the NTA is fully funded for this. I am not satisfied with that answer. Where do I go? Where do I get the answers to the questions I need?
I thank the Senator. I am of course providing the answers given to me by the Department. As we know, the new Limerick bus network will provide more frequent public transport offerings to more people across Limerick. I hear what she is saying. She is talking about now. As with the previous Senator, I will bring her concerns to the Minister. I will let him know how strongly she feels about this and that she is looking for timelines insofar as they can be delivered. What we are looking at here is that aspects of the BusConnects programme include a 70% increase in bus services in Limerick city and suburbs, shorter waits, more direct routes, simpler networks and schedules, additional services at weekends and a 24-hour bus route connecting University Hospital Limerick, the city centre and the University of Limerick. As I said, Limerick is the first city in Ireland with a fully electrified bus service. I hear what the Senator is saying. She is asking when this will be delivered. People are waiting for it, and the Senator does not really want to hear about plans next year or the year after. As she will understand these are all part of the process, but I will ask that-----
It has been a six-year process so far and it sounds like the process is being delayed even further. It is unacceptable.
I will not dispute that because I do not have the detail of what the Senator is speaking about.
I appreciate that.
I will certainly bring her concerns to the Minister. That is not just something I am saying. I will do that.
I thank the Minister of State.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as glacadh leis na trí ní, agus gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Ryan chomh maith.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 10.24 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 10.31 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 10.24 a.m. and resumed at 10.31 a.m.