Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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196. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current capacity and frequency of public transport services bus and rail between Cork City and commuter satellite towns such as Mallow, Blarney and Glanmire; the investment scheduled over the next two years to expand frequency, accessibility, and active travel connections; and the Government’s plan to ensure congestion is mitigated during periods of growth. [49505/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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There is significant investment and development planned for the Cork City and County region over the next few years to both address existing demand and to prepare for future potential growth.

BusConnects

BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system, providing better bus services across five cities. It is the largest investment in the bus system in the history of the State and is managed by the National Transport Authority (NTA). BusConnects is a key intervention to reduce congestion in our cities.

In Cork, following a public consultation, the new BusConnects network was published in June 2022, and it aims to provide an increase of over 50% in bus services across the city. Planning for the implementation of the new bus network has commenced and it is expected that the new network will be implemented on a phased basis in the coming years.

Another key component of the BusConnects Cork programme is the implementation of bus priority measures, generally bus lanes, on key bus corridors serving the city. A third round of non-statutory public consultation on the 11 Sustainable Transport Corridors ran from November to December 2023.

The NTA submitted the Preliminary Business Case for Cork BusConnects to the Department of Transport in January 2025. In line with the Infrastructure Guidelines, the business case has been reviewed by the officials of Department of Transport and by the Major Projects Advisory Group (MPAG). The MPAG’s final report on the business case is expected in the coming weeks, after which it is intended to bring BusConnects Cork to Government. If approved by Cabinet at Approval Gate 1 of the Infrastructure Guidelines, this will allow the programme to enter the planning process.

Park and Ride Sites

Currently, the NTA is leading the development and rollout of strategic park and ride sites nationwide.

The NTA established the Park and Ride Development Office in February 2020, which had been included as an action in the Climate Action Plan 2019. The function of the Office is to enable the delivery of park and ride sites by the NTA in collaboration with Local Authorities and transport operators such as Iarnród Éireann, across the country. Through the Park and Ride Development Office, full-time specialist resources are now employed on such projects.

Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme

The Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme is a key project in the National Development Plan 2021-2030 and the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy 2040. The Programme is being delivered on a phased basis and will provide a more efficient and decarbonised transport service for the area to help facilitate population and economic growth over the coming decades.

Phase 1 of the Programme consists of a signalling upgrade, construction of a through-platform at Kent Station which launched in April, and double-tracking from Glounthaune to Midleton. This phase has received EU Funding under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Phase 2 of the programme plans for the electrification of the Cork commuter rail network and the delivery of up to eight new stations including Blarney/Stoneview and upgrades to existing stations including Mallow. In 2024, Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) awarded a contract to TYPSA and Roughan O’Donovan appointing them as multi-disciplinary consultants for the design of Phase 2 of the Programme. A public consultation for Phase 2 of the Programme was completed in July.

Subject to securing funding and achieving the relevant approvals, Phase 2 of the Programme will progress after Phase 1 works have been completed.

Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy

With regard to addressing potential congestion associated with growth, I also would like draw the Deputy's attention to the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS) which was developed by the National Transport Authority (NTA) in collaboration with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Cork City Council and Cork County Council. The strategy sets out a framework for the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure and services in the Cork Metropolitan Area up to 2040.

CMATS provides an evidence-based framework to support the development of individual projects and is consistent with the spatial planning objectives in the National Planning Framework and the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy.

Since its publication in 2020, there has been good progress on key elements of CMATS, including the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme, BusConnects Cork, Cork Light Rail and the Active Travel Programme. It is currently anticipated that the NTA will commence the review process of CMATS in 2027.

Specific matters such as the capacity and frequency of the public transport services in Cork and commuter towns are best addressed by the NTA and so I have referred your question to the NTA for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.