Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

78. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to ensure that public transport is fully accessible to all; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62394/25]

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My question is about the changes arising from the roll-out of BusConnects across Dublin and the accessibility issues that are coming into focus. We need to ensure that our public transport system is fully accessible to all who rely on it. I ask the Minister of State to outline the plans to ensure that public transport systems like BusConnects and the improvements being made to the Dublin Bus network are fully accessible to all.

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

From a policy perspective, the Government announced the national human rights strategy for disabled people on 3 September 2025. Pillar 5 of the strategy, "Transport and Mobility”, contains a number of transport priority actions, which I am proud to say will be led by our Department. The strategy puts great importance on engagement with disabled people.

The Minister, Deputy O’Brien, met with members of the disability sector on 29 September last for a constructive dialogue around our shared ambition to ensure 100% transport accessibility in Ireland. I have also met them. The Minister and I welcomed the opportunity to hear views on transport accessibility and the pillar 5 actions at the start of the new strategy. It was a valuable and rewarding exchange with disabled persons organisations, service providers, disability user groups and board representatives from transport operators. I believe that only by engaging with those who have lived experience of disability can we truly remove the barriers they face daily. I commend Ciarán Delaney from Cork, who has briefed me extensively on this very important issue.

In short, I want disabled people, whether they live in urban or rural areas, to have the same access to choice in their transport options as everyone else. As Deputy Ó Muirí will know, there are three aspects to improving public transport accessibility: ensuring a universal design approach in all new infrastructure, addressing legacy infrastructure deficits and enabling independent travel. We have an ambitious programme of investment planned for the next five years, all of which will adhere to the principles of universal design and, therefore, help deliver a more inclusive transport network in the years ahead. The real challenge is legacy infrastructure. To give an example, the major accessibility upgrade which opened at Athy station on 4 November was funded from this programme. The Minister has increased funding under the accessibility retrofit programme by 67% this year when compared to last year. We will maintain that increased level of funding under the new NDP.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I fully support BusConnects. As the Minister of State mentioned, there is major investment going into that programme, which has been under way for a number of years. Nonetheless, it is important that it is accessible. The Clongriffin corridor of BusConnects is heading for CPO in my own area, and it will plug into the great work done by Dublin City Council on the C2CC. However, we have had accessibility issues raised with us by constituents in regard to phase 7 of that roll-out.

The 123 bus service in my and Deputy Heneghan’s area was well used and was an essential service for many. It has now been replaced by the NTA with a new route, the 73, which travels down Gardiner Street on the east side of the northside, leaving elderly commuters with an additional 400 m to walk to get to O'Connell Street and to get back to the bus. How is this accessible for elderly commuters? If people are heading back to the northside, there is now no stop between Ormond Quay and Eden Quay, which is a distance of nearly 1 km. How is this accessible for elderly commuters? For citizens with mobility challenges, this is a very serious barrier to accessing the north city centre.

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Deputy’s points are relevant, and I will take them back to the NTA and Dublin Bus. It is not about making it difficult for people. It is about ensuring they can have accessibility. The work we are doing to make public transport accessible for older or disabled people must not count for nothing. It is about that reliability piece, but it is also about accessibility and not creating a barrier. I will bring that back. The other point that is worth making is that while the retrofit programme is important, if we cannot have the bus stop at the nearest point for people to help them to access public transport, we are missing something. I will certainly bring the Deputy's comments back to the relevant stakeholders.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I welcome the ambition to add to the capacity of Dublin Bus’s network and to make it more efficient. They are the fundamental principles of BusConnects. The benefits to the city and the wider Dublin area, all the way from the suburbs into the city centre and beyond, are enormous. However, there is still some way to go. To go back to the 73 service, buses are bunching, with two or three buses in a row and then no bus coming for 30 to 40 minutes. Again, senior citizens are left standing. The bus stop on Eden Quay does not actually show on the stop that it is the 73 service, although it shows 73 bunched on the digital display. Older citizens are unhappy using the new stops on Gardiner Street because, to be honest, they just do not feel safe after dark. While I welcome the overall thrust of BusConnects, the NTA has to look at these issues. I appreciate the Minister of State's offer to bring the issues back. I ask him to do that so the NTA can respond and actively listen to citizens, in particular older citizens who use that service every day.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I also wish to raise the issue of the 123 service. Multiple constituents, in particular the elderly and people with disabilities, are very upset about the change. They had a routine set as to where the bus was ending, but now there has been a change, not only of the bus number but also the destination. I welcome that the Minister of State will look into this. These people are set in their ways. They really liked what was there and they are upset about the current status. Deputy Ó Muirí and I receive the exact same emails on this. The elderly and people with disabilities need this to be looked at and they need the 123 service to finish near O'Connell Street, where it once did. That will make it more accessible, get people into social situations and allow them to go about their day-to-day business.

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputies for their comments. I do not have the specific answers to their questions but I will take them back. I thank them for the geography lesson on Dublin city and routes 73 and 123. The points the two Deputies make are very important. If we are asking people to have independent travel and encouraging the 15-minute concept of the city, then older people need to be able to access public transport. There is no point in having free public transport if they cannot access it. The points made by both Deputies are very relevant.

In the broader context, it is critical for the NTA to communicate, engage and respond proactively and actively to what the Deputies have raised tonight. It is about the citizen. It is about the active travel user. It is about the disabled person and the older person. The Deputies have very eloquently given testimony on the importance of older people being able to use public transport. I will communicate their views to the NTA. I apologise that I do not have answers to their specific questions, but I will take their views and concerns back.