Transport Policy Dail Éireann — 2026-03-03 ============================================================ Jerry Buttimer (FG), Cork South-Central Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta McGrath as ucht an rúin a chur roimh an Teach. I have prepared remarks but in many ways they have been made redundant by what he outlined, because is right. Both of us agree. We have listened to the views of the Cork Development Forum, Cork Business Association and Cork Chamber of Commerce. We were both at the Future Cork event last Friday, where an Taoiseach spoke on the panel about the significant transport projects in Cork. The Government has committed to delivery of the Cork metropolitan area transport strategy. It is important to recognise in the House that it is an exciting time for public transport in Cork. Deputy McGrath and I share the view that there needs to be delivery of the plan for the integrated transport network that enables the metropolitan area of Cork to grow and develop and that also sees the Cork metropolitan area transport strategy delivered. The fundamental point is that the NTA has already established an office in Cork city, on Horgan's Quay, but the office must be manned on a full-time basis for the delivery of the metropolitan area transport strategy. We have seen the Irish Rail projects and the success that AJ Cronin has brought to the development of infrastructure and rail. I concur completely with Deputy McGrath that this office needs to be expedited, manned in Cork and delivered. It needs to be accountable for the delivery of Bus Connects, the Cork area commuter rail, Cork light rail, the Luas and the active travel programme. I apologise that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, cannot be here tonight. I am taking this Topical Issue for him. We have seen various iterations of BusConnects. I will not read out the prepared remarks because Deputy McGrath knows as well as I do that this needs to be fast-tracked. It is taking far too long. It would bring a huge benefit to Cork. We see the N40 congested every day. I was in Carrigaline yesterday. It was like being in downtown New York, with the volume of traffic on the N28. It was extraordinary. Deputy McGrath mentioned the sustainable transport corridors and active travel, including provision of bus lanes and cycle lanes. We need to continue with that. We have made huge progress in Cork, as the Deputy said, with commuter rail. We have delivered huge numbers of people. There is a new through platform at Kent Station and resignalling work, and the works from Glounthaune to Midleton, and on to Mallow in the Deputy's area, are phenomenal. It is important that we continue with that. The point the Deputy made about the airport is absolutely correct. I share his view that the airport has been forgotten with regard to the provision of rail but, more pertinently and immediately, the provision of bus access to the airport. It beggars belief that Cork Airport does not have public buses to it, in particular in the mornings to get staff, customers and passengers to the airport. I cannot understand how Bus Éireann cannot sit down with TII, the NTA, the airport, and local authorities to address that. I thank Deputy McGrath for raising the matter. He knows, as I do, that this a need that will see projects delivered. It is beneficial for Cork. I thank him for his support for this project. It is critical that we progress it. --- 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/2026-03-03/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:02+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-03-03