Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)

I raise a transport issue, which I have raised a number of times both here and in the Dáil. I have written to the NTA on the issue but it still has not been resolved. It relates to the 109X bus from Cavan to Dublin. It is an hourly bus service going through Kells and on to Dublin. I am hearing from passengers and bus drivers that there are regularly people left stranded because buses are full to capacity at certain times of the day. This particularly happens when the bus is leaving Dublin in the evening and heading back to Cavan. People at bus stops in Drumcondra and near the Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown are often the ones left because they are the last to get on the bus and the bus is full. That means they have to wait an hour or maybe two hours. These are often families with young children, or it could be an elderly person going the hospital. It sometimes happens in the morning as well, with people trying to get to work or college in Dublin. A lot more students going to DCU use public transport to get from Kells or Cavan to DCU because they cannot get accommodation in and around the college. I have written to the NTA on numerous occasions. Officials keep telling me they review this on a regular basis, and they are going to increase the capacity but nothing ever changes, and it is something that has been going on for years. It is very frustrating. We want an adequate bus service. It is regular, but capacity is not adequate at certain times of the day, and that needs to be addressed. I am asking for this to be raised with the Minister for Transport.