Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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101. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware of issues with the bus service in Cork city; and whether he has engaged with the NTA or Bus Éireann in resolving these. [13239/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators, in this case Bus Éireann.

I am aware that there have been issues with some bus services in Cork City in recent months, and the negative impact that these issues are having on the travelling public.

I understand that Bus Éireann are working with the NTA to identify measures that can be taken to improve service provision in the city. The introduction of the MacCurtain Street public transport improvement scheme on the 26th of 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 on these incremental changes. In particular, service reliability and punctuality enhancements for Routes 220, 225 and 226 are being reviewed by the NTA and Bus Éireann with a view towards additional timetable refreshes in the first half of 2024.

In light of the NTA's responsibility in this area, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.