Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 December 2025
140. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Transport if he will ask the National Transport Authority to address issues outlined in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72662/25]
View answerAs 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.
BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system, providing better bus services across our cities. It is the largest investment in the bus system in the history of the state and is managed by the NTA. The aim of the network is to improve the existing Transport for Ireland system through enhanced services with high frequency spines and new local, Orbital and Radial routes.
It is acknowledged that reliability has been a key concern during the initial rollout of Phase 7, with challenges primarily linked to traffic congestion on new city-centre alignments and driver availability. When implementing new phases of the BusConnects network, the NTA continuously monitors services, identifies any issues that arise, and puts in fixes where appropriate. My Department will continue to work with the NTA to ensure the redesigned network delivers on its objectives and its performance is closely monitored.
In light of the NTA’s responsibility in this area, I have also 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.
