Bus Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-24
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Aindrias Moynihan (FF), Cork North-West

I thank the Minister of State for outlining the various works under way. I readily acknowledge that there is headway being made in different places. In this regard I have referred to bus shelters, including for the No. 40 route. Time and again, I have raised here the need to advance the 233 bus service. It is a vital service that goes up and down the Lee valley, serving the area from Macroom to Cork. However, it does not serve those settlements alone as it also services a huge number of people in growing communities in between, from Kilmurry to Crookstown. Cloghduff is growing dramatically, as are Aherla, Killumney and Ovens. On the other side of the Lee, over in Carrig, there are Dripsey and Coachford. Large numbers of houses have been built in this area and people are moving in. They want to be able to get to and from college on time. They want a bus that will give them an opportunity to get to work.
The background work by the NTA is under way on these routes. Its plan is to have three strands of the 233 service, for example in the north, centre and south, to serve the various communities. Again, the NTA is coming up against the roadblock I have described. It was very clear when we raised the matter with them that, as much planning as it has done, it is held up waiting for PSO funding to be able to advance the routes. The 233 is an essential service to serve communities right down the Lee valley.
Can the Minister give an indication of when the NTA can expect to get the PSO funding to have the routes in place? Cork North-West needs delivery, certainty and fairness, not further delays.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-24/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:06+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-24