Public Transport
Dail Éireann — 2025-10-14
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Marian Harkin (IND), Sligo-Leitrim

I thank the Deputy for his comments. I agree with everything he said because I understand the local circumstances. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Transport.
The Deputy will recognise that this Government recognises that transport connectivity is hugely important for people who live and work in rural Ireland. As recently as yesterday, the enhanced 563 service between Sligo and Dromahair was launched as part of the Connecting Ireland programme. The route provides peak-time and evening services, enhancing connectivity to Sligo University Hospital, the Atlantic Technological University, including St. Angela’s campus, and regional bus services. In February, the National Transport Authority, in partnership with Bus Éireann, launched the new S3 route as part of the Sligo town bus service expansion as well as significant improvements to both the S1 and S2 routes. These are real improvements. I have here the response from the Department, but I fully recognise what the Deputy is saying about students arriving in time to attend lectures at ATU and St. Angela’s and people getting to work in the mornings. That is absolutely crucial.
The Deputy mentioned student accommodation. I have said many times that having a bus that gets students to college or people to work on time would make such a difference for so many people who live in south Sligo. I have heard what the Deputy said. From personal experience, I agree about the need to service so many of the villages he named. I will not name them all because I will probably miss some of them, but I know them and I know the needs that exist. All I can say is that having heard the Deputy's strong case and given that I understand what he is talking about, I will make strong representations on his behalf to the Department.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-10-14/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:04+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-10-14