Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Currie for her question. Since 2020, over €18.75 million has been invested in bus services alone in Dublin West, reflecting a really strong and ongoing commitment to improving public transport in the area. This includes funding for both new routes and enhancements to existing services. Notably, new routes introduced over the period include the L52, introduced in 2020, the C5 and C6, introduced in 2021, the high-frequency orbital N4, introduced in 2022, the W5, introduced in 2023, and most recently, the N2, introduced in 2024. Enhancements to existing services have been prioritised, with approximately €1.6 million allocated across the period. However, the most substantial enhancements were delivered in 2020, with more than €1.25 million invested that year to improve service levels and reliability.

Looking ahead, while no new enhancements have been introduced yet in 2025, plans are in place to extend route 40D to serve Hollywoodrath later this year. An additional €500,000 is also committed this year to specifically address punctuality and reliability issues on routes 37, 38 and 70. These improvements were rolled out in April and are already supporting more consistent services.

Furthermore, phase 10 of the BusConnects network redesign, the B spine, is scheduled for late 2026 and will deliver significant improvements for Dublin West, subject to operational readiness and funding. In the interim, the NTA is working closely with operators to identify priority routes where capacity constraints are most pressing. Due to a range of factors, including limited driver availability, a prioritised list of enhancements will be developed based on the most urgent needs. I would welcome the Deputy’s input into that.

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