Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)

I thank Deputy O'Gorman for bringing forward this motion, which is supported by the Labour Party. I will take the opportunity to talk about my constituency of Dublin Fingal West where public transport is at best disconnected. I acknowledge that the DART+ Coastal North project will, hopefully, come at the end of 2026. In the meantime, our issue is with the bus service. There are variations in the 33 bus, which was mentioned by one of my colleagues. The 33 bus is to be done away with under BusConnects. My constituents were at best sceptical about BusConnects. They have launched a new campaign to retain the direct link from the north county to town for the 33X. Because we are going to lose the 33 under BusConnects, the capacity of the 33A will in theory be ramped up. However, there are issues with ghost buses on the 33A route. People in the north county are afraid that this will increase with staff shortages. The 32X is a success story, but we could do with two more in the morning and the evening in order to meet peak capacity.

Regarding rail fares, I welcome the fact that after a recent campaign, we are looking at redoing student fares in the run-up to the new school year. However, Skerries and Balbriggan are the only two towns in Dublin that are not in zone 1. The Minister used to represent my area, so he will be aware how much this rankles with people in light of the cost involved and the emotiveness of the decision. I have received countless submissions on this. Good public transport requires us to have a system that is accessible, community-centred and affordable and that not only facilitates physical movement but also serves as a cornerstone for building inclusive and vibrant communities.

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