Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The locals in Grange Manor and the wider Ovens area have been raising concerns with me about the proposed changes on the 220 bus route. They have been raising them directly with me and with local councillors Gobnait Moynihan and Mick Looney, and outlining very reasonable concerns about the proposed changes. We have been engaging with BusConnects Cork about its proposed plan. This proposed plan would mean less frequent service to Grange Manor as well as the end of a night-time service. They currently have a direct route into the city centre but under the proposed plan they would have to change buses to be able to do that. It would also mean that if they were to go out late in the evening in Cork and were taking a bus home, they would end up walking along the motorway ramp in darkness around by Jim Bob’s and around to Grange Cross. They are very reasonably questioning how that would encourage people to move away from their cars. They currently have the first 24-hour bus service in the country; four buses per hour, with a reduced service later at night; and a direct link into the city centre. Many of them have grown up over the past 20 years in Grange Manor and the wider area accessing school and now college and work using that bus service. The development plan outlined considerable zoned grounds around Ovens and construction is under way on much of that, for example, behind Beverly and by Jim Bob’s, where Codrum Hall is being constructed and occupied. There is a huge growing population in the area. Since the public consultation began on this process, grounds have been bought by the city council for the new schools Le Chéile and Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin at Lisheens and there would be a direct bus link from this area.

I acknowledge there was a public consultation, but it was very city-based and city-focused. Was there consultation with officials from Cork County Council? This area is part of Cork county. How much were the county development plan and the zoned grounds taken into consideration? BusConnects Cork proposes these changes in 2025 and 2026, so there is time available to engage with locals and to refine and improve the plan.

This proposed plan would bring a new terminus at Dell EMC, a private company, and that makes it more difficult for people to access. They are very reasonably questioning the bus coming on to the grounds of a private company as the bus service is expected to be a public service. Will they be able to walk through that private car park and through Dell EMC to be able to access it? In fact, that is very much part of the solution. If the bus goes through Dell EMC to the existing terminus at the pedestrian access at the foot of the flyover ramp, that would solve much of the problem and people would be able to keep access to that bus service at the western end of Dell EMC by Grange Cross. The bus route could even be looped around by Jim Bob’s and Beverly, bringing everybody on board in that way. The key thing is that there would be engagement with locals.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I am taking this issue on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan. I wish to clarify that the Minister has responsibility for policy and overall funding in respect of public transport, and neither the Minister or his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally rests with the National Transport Authority, NTA. The NTA works with the public transport operators that deliver the services and that have responsibility for day-to-day operational matters.

That said, I reassure the Deputy that Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. To support this objective, in budget 2024, the Department of Transport secured €613.463 million of funding for public service obligation and Transport for Ireland, TFI, Local Link services, and we can see them expanding across the country. This includes funding for the continuation of the 20% fare reduction on PSO services, the young adult card on both PSO and commercial bus services, and the 90-minute fare until the end of 2024. Funding has also been secured to support new and enhanced bus and rail services next year.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to improving public transport, both bus and rail, and is backing up that commitment with significant investments across the network. This includes the continued roll-out of the BusConnects programme.

With regard to his specific question on planned changes to the 220 route at Grange Manor in Cork, I understand that there have been issues with some bus services in Cork city in recent months and that these issues have been having a negative impact on the travelling public. That is not something we want to see happen. The NTA advised that it is specifically aware of the ongoing punctuality and reliability issues in Cork city and it is working closely with Bus Éireann to address these issues. I am further advised that a number of routes in Cork city are being prioritised for planned service improvements in 2024, including the 220 route referenced by the Deputy. To this end, Bus Éireann is working with the NTA to examine what steps can be taken to improve service provision in the city and counter the impact of issues such as traffic congestion.

The introduction of the MacCurtain Street public transport improvement scheme on 26 November 2023 and subsequent timetable refreshes represent a significant investment into Cork city. However, I recognise that there is still work to be done to build out these incremental changes. I understand that service reliability and punctuality enhancements for routes 220, 225 and 226 need to be addressed, and these routes in particular are being reviewed by the NTA and Bus Éireann with a view towards additional timetable refreshes. Further recruitment campaigns for drivers are under way in Cork city to address shortages, which will also improve service provision in the city.

Beyond that, the planned Cork network redesign will involve the creation of new bus routes and improved frequencies to help transform the public transport network to meet anticipated growth and future demand in the region. It is currently anticipated that the Cork network redesign will commence implementation from 2025 subject to funding and resource availability. These service issues highlight the fundamental importance of ensuring bus priority measures, such as those proposed as part of BusConnects sustainable transport corridors.

I also want to reassure the Deputy that the Department of Transport, the NTA and the operators are working to ensure the optimised deployment of resources across the public transport network to match changing passenger demand patterns. I will come back in on a supplementary in respect of some of the specific issues the Deputy raised in respect of public consultation and so on, if that is okay.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Considerable changes are being planned for the network. Specifically, for BusConnects Cork, it is planned to move the terminus at Grange Manor and to put two bus routes into that general area with very different services. While there are other issues on down the network that need addressing, I want particularly to focus on the residents of Ovens and Grange Manor and the new homes that are being built there. They currently have a 24-hour service with four buses per hour through the day, with reduced frequency at night and a direct link into the city. Under the new proposed plan, that service would be halved to two buses per hour with no direct link, as they would have to switch buses, and the 24-hour service would not be available to them. This is because the terminus is being moved from the western side of EMC, beside the Grange Manor entrance, over to the eastern side of EMC, serving the needs of a private company.

The county development plan sets out that there will be considerable development in the Grange area. Homes are being built and residents moving in there. Surely we would be looking to give the maximum service to the residents in the area. They have shown that they are interested in using the service. They have been using it over many years. There is a way of solving this where the bus route comes through EMC and out to the existing terminus at the western end of the company's property. Is this the only place on the network where the terminus is being changed or taken away? It must be. There are considerable changes within the network in Cork but right here, on the very edge of it, a service is being taken away. Locals are reasonably asking how this is going to encourage them to move away from their cars. It is just sending the wrong message. There is time before this is due to be implemented in 2025 or 2026. I ask that the opportunity be used to engage with the locals on the issue.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The specific issues the Deputy has raised here are significant. I will speak to the Minister for Transport about the NTA engaging again on this. The Deputy has raised quite a few issues. Certainly the last thing Government wishes in terms of overall policy is to deter people from using public transport or put barriers in their way. It should be affordable, reliable and safe. That is critically important. Further engagement is required.

I cannot speak specifically about the public consultation in respect of people in Cork county or officials from Cork County Council. That is something that would be important also. Critically important is transport-oriented development, which we are trying to achieve from a planning perspective, so that there are viable public transport routes when significant development of new homes is taking place in an area such as this. I will take the matter back to the Minister. It would be important for a process of engagement to take place again to see if there is a way forward and to look at some of the suggestions the Deputy has brought forward today. They are practical and achievable, and might resolve the issues for the residents.