Bus Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-22
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Barry Heneghan (IND), Dublin Bay North

I appreciate the reply from the Minister of State. This is an important issue for my constituents, who need reassurance. I emailed the NTA but my office has not received a response from it. I acknowledge the work of Independent Councillor Breen on the north side. I also acknowledge the work of the Acting Chair, Deputy Cummins, who worked very hard on the route 80, which affects her side of the city.
If the NTA is to proceed with a merger, I can understand the changes to route 80 but not for the 130 bus route. I have visited special education schools in north Dublin with the Minister of State. Changes to people's routine can really affect them. A lot of constituents have contacted me who are terrified of the changes. They have learned the route and they are used to it. The merger cannot go ahead. If it does go ahead, there needs to be another option for these people. Will the Minister of State relay to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, the need to engage directly with the affected communities, which I represent? Will he also ensure the NTA publishes the base evidence for the changes?
The Minister of State is correct. Obviously, his office knows I always raise, when I have the chance, Stapolin Educate Together National School, but I have him here to relay issues to the Minister for Transport. The bottom line is that the public need to be consulted properly, the reliability issue needs to be fixed, including the ghost buses that are being experienced across all the bus routes in north Dublin, and the data needs to be published. It is very simple for people to hide behind data. If the data is published, we can hold the system accountable.
In the last 15 seconds, if the classrooms are sanctioned in Stapolin Educate Together National School, then the necessary funding-----

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:32+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-22