Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 May 2026
249. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport whether additional late night or increased frequency public transport services are planned by Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Irish Rail and Luas operators to accommodate demand arising from major summer concerts and events in 2026; the routes and services affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41350/26]
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.
As part of the BusConnects Network Redesign, the NTA has introduced fifteen 24-hour bus services across the city in recent years, significantly enhancing both late night and early morning travel options. This has allowed more people to use and avail of public transport services. In addition, there are 12 Nitelink services which run from the city centre to suburbs on Friday and Saturday nights, providing extra capacity during peak late-night demand periods.
While there is significant collaboration between the NTA and operators to ensure sufficient public transport capacity is provided for major events, it is the NTA’s priority to provide public transport services for all their scheduled timetabled services. Event promoters are advised if an operator has the capacity to provide additional trains, trams or buses to support large-scale events, and if there is then they are provided.
The challenge facing the NTA and the transport operators is the number of large-scale events being scheduled concurrently, and the resources needed to support them all. To support these events requires vehicles, drivers, support staff, site personnel and security teams, all of which have limited availability due to the normal workload associated with the scheduled services.
Some events are organised without any input or involvement from the NTA, who are informed only at a later stage. The NTA have said that there may be a need for more scrutiny of transport availability when licensing such events, particularly when different local authorities are licensing events to take place concurrently or in close proximity to each other.
The Department of Transport has requested that the NTA be included as a prescribed body in the draft regulations under the Planning and Development Act, and remain engaged as to how this legislative work progresses.
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.
