I hear the Deputy's frustration with this service. I have outlined changes that are going to happen in December with additional drivers and bus runs. It is important. The Deputy says the demand is there so we have to make sure that whatever service we put in place actually meets that demand and is providing a service. It is a capacity issue. It has been in terms of getting drivers, having the buses, having mechanics to service the buses and all of this. I met with the NTA and Bus Éireann last week in connection wit…

I thank the Deputy. I will bring his concerns back to the NTA. It is no problem. I will also seek to find out whether it can bring forward that date if it had already given a date in September. The date the authority now says it is going to introduce the service is 6 December. I do not know why it has been delayed. I can imagine why. An additional 12 drivers and additional bus services coming on will make a difference but we need to keep on top of it to ensure the service is fit for purpose and that we provide publ…

As the statutory body responsible for regulating fares across services operated under the PSO contracts the National Transport Authority is central to shaping a public transport system that is fair, efficient and accessible. Through its management of fare strategies, it helps to ensure pricing structures support social inclusion and modal shift while also underpinning the financial viability and resilience of the network. A significant milestone under the national fares strategy was reached in July 2026, when a sim…

I will repeat what I have said about the changes that happened in July 2026 in Cork. They make the fares cheaper and make it easier for people to use multimodal transport. If there are issues with buses not coming on time we have discussed that earlier and we are working on that. The cost for children, students and young adults in Cork of time-based tickets such as the 1-day, 7-day, monthly and annual tickets is coming down by about 30%. That is a fact. This is as a result of the introduction of the standard discou…

The local authority should be putting in place the park-and-rides. The Department of Transport will support that and we need to see what the proposals are. Let us just go back to understand what the PSO services support. They support a wide range of Government policy including climate action, sustainable mobility, regional development, social inclusion, compact growth and economic competitiveness as well as the accommodation of population growth. There is a significant increase in demand for public transport becaus…

The Estimates are the Estimates. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating when the tender is brought in. I will not give any commitment until we see what the real overall cost is from the tenders. The range that is there at the moment is between €14.4 billion at the lower end to €17.49 billion. The firm proof of the pudding will be when the tenders come in next year. This project is a key component in delivering not just a rail connection within the city of Dublin, but also the opportunity to build houses and…

The Deputy is asking what kinds of constraint or what time or safety factors we will put into the contract. That contract and the conditions of that contract are being prepared at the moment before it goes out to tender. I can assure the Deputy that this project will be delivered. It has to be delivered because it is vital for the country. It is the single largest project that we will undertake from a capital expenditure point of view. I look forward to it being delivered. Many projects in this country are delivere…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Before I start, I wish Deputy Michael Healy-Rae a quick recovery from the horrible attack yesterday evening in Dublin. I spoke to him last night. He was in good form and on his way back home. He and his family need time for him to recover. It has been such a harrowing experience. I am delighted to see that an arrest has been made, and we will leave that with An Garda. It is very concerning for everybody that something like that could happen in broad daylight in our…

I thank all of the Deputies for their contributions to this debate and for the careful consideration they have given to the Bill. I acknowledge their concerns and the practical issues raised on Second Stage. I might take a little bit of time to refer to some of the issues. Deputy Farrelly spoke about education. It is important to say the RSA piloted a scheme during the academic year 2024-25 that delivered training to teachers in almost 140 schools. In 2026, the RSA aims to have completed a national roll-out to tran…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Orders 103(2)(b) and 188(1).

I thank Deputy Moynihan for giving me the opportunity to address the issue of bus services for people living west of Cork city. I want to clarify from the outset that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport but that neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. Statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally rests with the NTA. The…

I thank the Deputy. I reassure him again that the Department, its Minister, Deputy O’Brien, my fellow Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I are fully committed to delivering a more sustainable, inclusive and accessible transport system for the benefit of current and future generations. In the Programme for Government: Securing Ireland’s Future, the Government committed to the continued roll-out of the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan. Investment can be seen in the enhanced route 521 between Newcastle West…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. I note Manna Air Delivery's recent statement that it will for now cease deliveries by drone in Ireland. The Minister recently met with representatives of Manna Air Delivery and we welcome the company's continued commitment to operating significant research and development and manufacturing bases in Ireland, where it will test, design and build drones. The company will continue to pursue international opp…

Implementation of the policy framework is tracked and reported on through a series of annual action plans and progress reports. An implementation action plan for 2026, which sets out actions and corresponding timelines, is available on the Government's website. It is important for the public to know that. I am aware that the rapid pace of expansion of UAS operations has resulted in challenges and generated real concerns and uncertainty among communities, as the Deputy explained, particularly around the issues of no…

I thank the Cathaoirleach. First of all, I thank Senators Stephenson, Cosgrove, Higgins, Black, Harmon, Ruane and Noonan for initiating this Private Members' Bill. While I am pleased to attend the debate here today, the Government will be opposing this Bill on Second Stage. I understand the rationale and motivation behind the introduction of the Bill but there would be significant challenges associated with its implementation and enforcement. The Ministers, Deputies O'Brien and McEntee, agree that these challenges …

I thank Senator Lynch for her very important question. It gives me the opportunity to discuss this matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport. At the outset, I think it is important to outline the respective roles of some of the main stakeholders within the greenway programme: the Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in relation to greenways while the planning, design and construction of individual greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, as …

I thank the Senator. I agree with her sentiment that what we regard as consultation is not what is happening. Sending a letter or notification is not consultation. I saw this happen in the national greenway from Athlone to Galway, which has not proceeded because the consultation is not real consultation and there is no discussion or engagement. I reiterate, as the Senator has, that greenways have a significant benefit beyond the transport sector in areas such as regional economic development, public health, tourism…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I too welcome everyone in the Public Gallery to listen to the statements today. I welcome the opportunity to address the House and to update Members on the recently published National Safety Camera Strategy, and on road safety matters more generally. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, will deliver the closing statement. As many Deputies will be aware, the last five years have seen an increase in road-related fatalities and serious injuries. Last year was a partic…

I thank the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, for sharing his time with me and for the information he has provided to the House today. I reiterate my support for the sector and thank the representative bodies for their ongoing commitment to address the challenges we are facing in a spirit of constructive dialogue and collaboration. The Irish Road Haulage Association, IRHA, the Coach Tourism and Transport Council, CTTC, and Freight Transport Association Ireland, FTAI, have been working diligently with us and our officials o…

I thank the Deputy very much. I welcome his question, which is on an issue that is very topical at the moment. He is right that we need to give people confidence in the public transport system so they will continue to use it for all the very good reasons he spoke about. We are strongly committed in the Government to providing all citizens with reliable and sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. To support this objective, in budget 2026, the Department of Tr…