James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. When I saw this Topical Issue selected, I was reminded of my colleague, Deputy Paul McAuliffe, who raised this issue under Questions on Promised Legislation last week, and I answered. To put in context that exchange, I absolutely recognise the legitimacy of the concerns around the No. 11 bus, and I have spoken with Deputy McAuliffe on it since then as well. It is a very serious matter if a bus that serves a particular population and community, with particular habits and practice formed around it, is then threatened or restructured in such a way that it no longer serves the needs of that community. I am not necessarily saying that is the case but I hear the concerns that it may be, and it is something that needs to be examined.

On the wider issue of BusConnects, I have met with a number of stakeholders in the last week, including the Dublin Commuter Coalition, who are very passionate and really want to see BusConnects driving forward and moving to the next stage. We have not yet realised the ambition that the BusConnects programme contains. We have 12 spines across the city but we have only really got to slightly more than half of those to date. We have had the pay but now we need to get the gain. What I mean by that is we need to start realising the benefits. It is really only when the BusConnects programme is actually up and running across the city, with all the spines and spokes running frequently, reliably and being enabled, that we will begin to really see the synergies that programme contains. That is the position; that is the ambition, vision, hope and expectation that I have for that programme. I very much hope I am right on that because we do need to start realising those benefits.

On the specific situation, I will clarify that my Department has responsibility for policy and overall funding for public transport but none of my Department, my officials or I are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. In fact, statutory responsibility for that is devolved to the NTA, as the Deputy will probably be aware. It works with the public transport operators, who deliver the services and have responsibility for day-to-day operational matters. That comes under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, which empowered the NTA with statutory responsibility for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network and accessible transport infrastructure. The NTA then works with the relevant public transport operators to progressively make public transport accessible for everyone, including people with disabilities and older persons. I think the Deputy mentioned older persons in his query with reference to the No. 11 route.

The Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and public transport obviously plays a huge role in that. Towards this objective, in budget 2025, we have secured an indicative funding package of €652 million. My Department secured that in the budget negotiations to fund PSO and Local Link services for next year. That is a very significant commitment to public transport. We are voting with our feet with respect to pledging those moneys and making sure they are provided so these services can continue. That also includes funding to support fare initiatives and for the continued roll-out of new services, including the continuation of the BusConnects and Connecting Ireland programmes.

Jumping to the No. 11 bus, which I know is at the heart of the Deputy's question, the decision to replace the northern part of this route with the new route 19 forms part of the BusConnects network redesign, which is aimed at enhancing the entire public transport network in Dublin. Under this redesign, route 19 will connect Dublin Airport and Parnell Square via Ballymun, Wadelai Park, Home Farm Road and Drumcondra. The route will run every 20 minutes, significantly improving upon the initially proposed hourly service and will have increased capacity at peak times. This change addresses concerns about service frequency and connectivity, providing better links, especially to Dublin Airport. The service will provide new direct connections to Dublin Airport, benefiting both airport workers and travellers. The southside route 11 will remain unchanged from Sandyford to Parnell Square, where it will now divert to run via Phibsborough and North Circular Road to the Phoenix Park.

I acknowledge the concerns raised by the Deputy about these changes - as I acknowledge the concerns raised by Deputy Paul McAuliffe last week - particularly with regard to how they may impact on elderly residents and students. We understand the importance of maintaining connectivity for all users, and I assure the Deputy in the House that the NTA is working closely with operators to address any service or connectivity issues arising from the roll-out of BusConnects. I also understand that the NTA undertakes extensive public engagement prior to the introduction of any service changes.

As noted earlier, the frequency and capacity will be improved, up to ten minutes at peak times on the busiest sections. Although route 19 will not extend past Parnell Square, passengers can interchange with other bus services at nearby stops and with the Luas at Parnell Street and Dominick Street.

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