Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I assure the Deputy that I fully recognise that transport connectivity is hugely important for people who live, work and study in Ireland and it is key to revitalising our villages, towns and urban centres. We need to expand the public transport network and increase service levels as outlined in policies like Connecting Ireland and BusConnects. We aim to achieve more balanced regional development and greater connectivity for all public transport. BusConnects has already achieved significant success in transforming Dublin’s public transport network. In the latest progress report, published in July 2024, comparisons were made between network redesign phases 1 to 5a before launch, from quarter 4 of 2019, and after launch, from quarter 4 of 2023. The programme has led to a substantial increase in service levels, and customer satisfaction research carried out earlier this year shows that phases 1 to 4 of the network redesign project are positively rated by users. The research shows that 80% of users are satisfied with the service and 49% reported that the service is now better.

It is important from my point of view that anybody who uses public transport has a good experience so that they will continue to use it. When issues arise, they have to be treated seriously. That is why I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The NTA and the Department of Transport will continue collaborating with operators and customers to enhance the punctuality and reliability of services throughout the network redesign. As I mentioned earlier, I have been advised that the NTA is working closely with Go-Ahead Ireland to identify steps that can be taken to improve service delivery on the impacted routes, and that some improvements have already taken place. Further, through initiatives like the capacity improvement programme and the implementation of ticketing technologies, we are taking steps to enhance capacity and improve the overall travel experience for passengers. On behalf of the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this important issue.

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