Flexible Work and Commuter Delays: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-21
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Jerry Buttimer (FG), Cork South-Central

I move amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:
"notes that:
— the Government is committed to the delivery of major public transport projects, as evidenced by last year's review of the National Development Plan (NDP) allocation of €24.3 billion to transport projects from 2026 to 2030;
— the NDP Sectoral Plan for Transport 2026-2030 involves a funding ratio of at least 2:1 in favour of new public transport over new roads projects, and for the next five years there will be approximately €3.3 billion allocated towards new roads investment and, at a minimum, approximately €7 billion towards new public transport investment;
— while the Government has allocated an unprecedented level of investment in transport, representing an almost 87 per cent increase as compared to the previous five-year period, investment decisions will always require a degree of sequencing and prioritisation of individual projects;
— for public transport infrastructure, there is circa €12.1 billion in funding in the new NDP from 2026 to 2030, and this represents more than double the amount provided in the previous five years;
— the funding in the new NDP will provide for the progression of a number of major public transport projects over this period, including the commencement of construction of MetroLink, Luas Finglas, the Dublin Area Rapid Transport (DART)+ programme, and the Western Rail Corridor from Athenry to Claremorris, as well as the continued implementation of the Cork Area Commuter Rail programme and the BusConnects programmes across Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford cities;
— in particular, the funding will allow Luas Finglas to commence construction within the period of this NDP, which is ahead of the post-2030 schedule for the project's construction commencement in the National Transport Authority Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy;
— furthermore, funding secured under this NDP review will see construction start before 2030 on the DART+ programme, beginning with DART+ West, which is a crucial enabler of the rest of the programme and particularly DART+ South West;
— on public transport services, Public Service Obligation (PSO) journeys have continued to grow steadily, reaching a record 343 million passenger journeys by the end of 2024, and this represents an increase of 32 million journeys compared with 2023, and exceeds prepandemic levels, and a significant milestone was reached in October 2024, when PSO services recorded one million journeys in a single day, and although the full year figures are not yet available for 2025, early indicators show continued growth, with Dublin Bus recording 164 million journeys in 2025, an increase of 5 million on 2024 and the highest annual total on record;
— Connecting Ireland is another strong example of progress, delivering exponential growth in rural transport since its launch in 2022, with 185 new and enhanced services having been introduced, resulting in almost 8 million passenger journeys in 2024, and where Connecting Ireland services have been implemented, patronage rose by 38 per cent from 2023 to 2024, and is up by 165 per cent compared to early 2019; and
— in addition, €360 million has been allocated to Active Travel and Greenway Programmes in 2026, continuing the high level of funding which has seen €1 billion invested in walking and cycling infrastructure projects since the start of the decade, and over 1,000 kilometres of active travel infrastructure has been constructed since 2021, with networks of walking and cycling infrastructure beginning to emerge in our towns and cities, allowing commuters to choose active transport modes to travel to work and school; and
affirms Government efforts to:
— deliver public transport projects;
— support households and businesses through addressing congestion; and
— work to address Ireland's climate targets.".
I thank the Labour Party for raising this matter this morning. To begin, I will digress from my prepared remarks by agreeing with Deputy Wall that it is time TII sat down with all of us, not just to discuss the M50, M7 or M8, but the N40 in Cork because it is unacceptable that a whole commuter thoroughfare to Dublin or Cork be ground to a complete stop. I have raised the matter with TII and I will meet it soon and will raise the matter again on behalf of Deputy Wall and me.
It is an opportune time for this debate about the issues of flexible working and those faced by commuters in the broader context. I think we will all agree about the importance of developing a strategic public transport network and addressing the issues of congestion and emissions. I also welcome the chance this morning - I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for Transport - to discuss the solutions already being progressed and those that are captured as part of the wider initiatives across the Government.
I am tabling an amendment, although there is much we agree on and very little we disagree on as regards flexible working and commuter delays. On flexible working, one of the key actions identified by the 2021 Making Remote Work: National Remote Work Strategy was the right of all workers to request remote work. This right commenced in March 2024 through the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. While the Government did not exclude any category of worker or occupation from this right, not all occupations, industries or particular roles in an enterprise will be suitable for remote working. As such, it is for each employer to determine, in line with legislation, whether it is possible to agree to a remote working arrangement.
Providing a right to request supports and facilitates remote working and supports a productive and more competitive business environment. My Department supports the role remote working can play in taking pressure off the transport network. This is reflected in recommendations to be included in a new transport strategy called "moving together", which is expected to go to the Government shortly. The strategy reflects the Government's commitment to further expanding opportunities for flexible and remote working and encouraging greater utilisation of remote working hubs, having regard to the potential for reducing kilometres travelled, particularly in commuter journeys.
The Government is conscious of the cost of congestion and the turmoil it causes in the lives of people. Analysis by the Department of Transport indicates that by 2040, annual costs of congestion are projected to reach €1.5 billion in the greater Dublin area, €97 million in Cork, €107 million in Galway and €22 million in Waterford. A multifaceted approach is needed to address congestion, having regard to supply and demand. On supply, the Government is making significant investments in transport infrastructure and services, which I will discuss in a moment. In addition, there is also a need to consider overall transport demand and options for optimising the efficiency of the overall transport network, with a particular focus on areas where feasible alternatives are already available or are being delivered. As I mentioned already, it is expected that the new moving together strategy will be approved early this year.
The motion also refers to delays experienced by commuters and drivers on our roads. To deliver on the programme for Government and our roads strategy, work on the first National Safety Camera Strategy is now at an advanced stage and it is expected it will be approved shortly. This will provide a framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of traffic offences. In addition, the Department is developing the next road traffic Bill to legislate for camera enforcement and mobile phone and seat belt offences and there has been a significant increase in spending on public awareness, communication and education campaigns by the Road Safety Authority in recent years, with a ring-fenced budget of €18 million set aside for these activities this year.
Turning to public transport, within its first year, the Government published a review of the national development plan, which will see record sums of investment in public transport in the years ahead. Over the next four years, €10.1 billion will be invested in public transport infrastructure, with a further €2 billion being drawn down from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund to progress MetroLink. As outlined in the sectoral investment plan for transport published last November, this funding will see commencement of key projects, including MetroLink, Luas Finglas, the DART+ programme, and the western rail corridor from Athenry to Claremorris, as well as implementation of the Cork area commuter rail programme and BusConnects programmes across our cities. I assure all Members of the House that, contrary to some recent media publications and commentary, the sectoral investment plan involves a funding ratio of at least 2:1 of new public transport to new roads projects. For the next five years, approximately €3.3 billion will be allocated to new roads investment at a minimum, and approximately €7 billion to new public transport investment. In particular, the funding will allow Luas Finglas to commence construction by 2029. This is ahead of the post-2030 schedule for the project’s construction in the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022-2042. This will provide significant benefits, not only to the immediate communities, but also to commuters from a wider catchment area thanks to the inclusion of a park and ride facility. As well as this, funding will see construction start on the DART+ programme, beginning with DART+ West over the coming years. It should be understood that this is a crucial enabler of the rest of the programme and particularly of DART+ South West. The programme will provide thousands of additional commuters with quick, frequent access. The Department of Transport will continue to examine the potential to accelerate the construction of DART+ South West in the context of the progress of the wider investment programme in the years ahead, as well as considering the potential afforded by the review of the national development plan allocations in 2028.
Turning to public transport services, the National Transport Authority, NTA, continuously monitors the punctuality and reliability of and demand for services. I heard the remarks of Deputies opposite regarding reliability and ghost buses. The recent roll-out of BusConnects Dublin phase 7, which was responsive to the feedback provided in the interest of passenger needs, demonstrates the collaborative approach between the NTA and the public transport operators. I heard Deputy Ahern's concerns about his area and will bring them back.
It is acknowledged that there have been ongoing challenges regarding reliability and frequency of public transport services, often due to traffic congestion, driver and mechanic shortages or unforeseen incidents. The Department is working closely with the NTA to try to address these issues through initiatives such as the public transport workforce task force and robust financial oversight to ensure value for money, leveraging the Department’s public service obligation, PSO, oversight group. Further measures are planned to enhance the customer experience across services. Improvements to the vehicle location system are planned under the next-generation automatic vehicle location project and enhanced safety measures are planned with the introduction of the transport security force.
There are three aspects to improving transport accessibility for people with disabilities. The first is ensuring a universal design approach for all new infrastructure, and our ambitious investment programme will adhere to this. The second is addressing legacy infrastructure deficits, and we have also greatly enhanced the funding to retrofit legacy inaccessible parts of our infrastructure. We will maintain that increased level of funding to ensure that disabled people are able to just turn up and go. The third is providing supports for independent travel, and in this regard I understand the NTA is rolling out the expansion of the independent travel support scheme to Dundalk and Drogheda, along with Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim and the Louth-Meath-Fingal Local Link areas.
Turning to rural transport, the Deputies will be aware that the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan is a major public transport initiative developed by the NTA to increase connectivity outside our major cities and towns. As Minister of State with responsibility for rural transport, I can say it has seen exponential growth over the last few years, with 185 new and expanded services rolled out since 2022 and more than 240 towns and villages connected to the public transport network. Increased services have led to exponential growth in passenger numbers, with almost 8 million passengers recorded across Connecting Ireland services in 2024.
I will outline again the Government's commitment to investing in active travel and diverse transport options to encourage a modal shift away from private car use, reduce transport emissions and alleviate congestion. This week, the Government announced its active travel measures, under which it has committed up to €1.8 billion for active travel and greenway programmes up to 2030. On Monday, the Minister for Transport announced, as I did in Cork, €360 million in funding to local authorities for walking and cycling infrastructure developments this year, which is a continuation of the high level of investment since the start of the decade. Deputy Eoghan Kenny will know how, in his constituency this week, we saw people protesting about the provision of cycle lanes, which poses a question about what is to be done and how it is to be achieved when a council votes - I think unanimously - to support the Part 8 there. With the projects delivered, we are beginning to see connectivity and the transport network improve, but it is vital that we continue to improve the commuter offering and that commuters choose every day to use public transport.
The Government is committed to the delivery of major sustainable transport projects and service improvements. Although it has allocated unprecedented funding to the transport sector for the next four years, investment decisions will require a degree of sequencing and prioritisation of individual projects. However, I am confident, along with the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, that the scaled-up investment in public and active transport, coupled with suitable and targeted demand-management measures, can help to address congestion in a meaningful way over the longer term. I thank the Labour Party for raising the matter this morning. It is an important issue to debate and for which to seek solutions.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-31T01:00:51+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-21