Public Transport Dail Éireann — 2026-02-04 ============================================================ Emer Higgins (FG), Dublin Mid-West I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this really important topic which I am taking today on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. From the outset, I want to clarify that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, however neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally rests with the NTA, National Transport Authority, which the Deputy referenced in his contribution. The NTA works with the public transport operators who deliver the services and have responsibility for their day-to-day operation. That said, I want to reassure the Deputy that the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic 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 secured €940 million of funding for public service obligation, PSO, and TFI Local Link services. That is a significant 43% uplift and an increase from €658.4 million in 2025 to €940 million. I understand that the Deputy specifically wishes to discuss the public transport links, or lack thereof, between Lucan and the airport. Officials from the Department of Transport have engaged with the NTA on this matter and have been advised, like the Deputy, that there was previously a direct service between Lucan and the airport which was operated on a commercial basis. That was a bus I used regularly so I have a vested interest in this and I did always find it reliable. While most public transport in Ireland comprises the bus and rail services funded through the NTA's PSO programme, there is part of the national public transport system that comprises non-subvented bus services, which are run on a commercial basis by bus and coach businesses of varying sizes throughout the country. As such, any decisions taken by commercial operators regarding route scheduling and timetabling are a matter for the commercial company involved, and the NTA has no powers to refuse an application from an operator to reduce or withdraw services on what is a commercial route. In circumstances where a commercial operator ceases operating a specific route, the NTA undertakes an examination to determine whether, with the discontinuation of the commercial service, it is necessary for a replacement PSO service to be introduced to ensure no loss of connectivity to the travelling public. This process includes an assessment of the level of demand for public transport services in the affected area, an evaluation of whether existing PSO services can be reconfigured to meet any shortfall, or whether it is necessary to competitively tender for the provision of services. The Minister for Transport has been advised by the NTA that, at present, there are no plans to introduce a replacement subsidised direct service on this route. However, a considerable number of journey options to Dublin Airport are available and the Minister has outlined them. To be honest, the Deputy puts forward a really good suggestion in relation to the existing route that passes by and stops at Lucan Spa Hotel, and for it to just stop at the footbridge on the N4. I will take that feedback directly to the Minister for Transport. As Deputy Moynihan said, the orbital bus routes servicing areas throughout Dublin have been a huge success and we really need to be thinking outside the box and making small changes that would have a big impact for the commuting public. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-04/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:35+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-02-04