Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 November 2025
213. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding any engagement he has had with the National Transport Authority in relation to the increased provision of nighttime bus services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65442/25]
View answerThe Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. This is evident in the Programme for Government to ensuring that public transport is as accessible as possible, supports the delivery of services, and incentivise off-peak travel.
As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) 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 has recently advised that they are currently finalising plans for late night services over the Christmas period and will be publishing full details of these arrangements later next week, in line with the approach adopted in previous years.
Broadly speaking, additional late-night services will be provided in the lead up to Christmas on Luas, DART and Commuter rail as well as extra Nitelink and commuter bus services. This is in addition to the expanding 24-hour network and the usual Nitelink services.
In light of the NTA’s responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
