Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 October 2023
12. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Transport if he will ensure that the promised bus routes and improved services for students attending TU Blanchardstown in Dublin 15 will be initiated before the promised 2025 deadline. [42831/23]
View answerI ask the Minister to ensure that the promised bus routes and improved service for students attending TU Blanchardstown in Dublin 15 will be initiated before the promised 2025 deadline, as they are desperately needed now.
If I could just come in on a similar issue.
You cannot come in just now, Deputy.
I want to reassure the Deputy that the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens, including students, reliable and realistic public transport options. To assist with the cost of public transport travel, under budget 2023 I secured funding for the continuation of both the 20% average public service obligation, PSO, fare reduction and the young adult card scheme, which provides eligible third level students with a 50% reduction on PSO and participating commercial bus services. These fare initiatives make a real difference to those using our public transport system. Further, the roll-out of projects like BusConnects, Connecting Ireland, and new town services are among the improvements we are making to achieve our ambitious goals for the sector. In addition, we are in the process of implementing a major redesign of the bus network in Dublin, which aims to provide a modernised service that is fully integrated with other public transport, including Luas and rail.
In the Blanchardstown area specifically, new local routes, the L61 and the L62, will serve TU Dublin Blanchardstown directly. Both services will accommodate students by operating seven days per week, from early morning until late at night. These new services are due to be implemented in 2025 as part of the introduction of the BusConnects B spine, and a transformation of the entire local network around Blanchardstown. Before that, in 2024, the intention is to upgrade the 139 Naas-Maynooth to TU Dublin Blanchardstown bus service to operate hourly, seven days a week. It is important to note that the rate of delivering the overall BusConnects programme is dependent on funding and the availability of key staff, including drivers. However, I firmly believe that with continued investment in public transport services, we will build a more efficient and attractive network for all transport users.
The Minister spoke earlier about the M50 being at capacity. The M3 is also at capacity. However, as the NTA has stated, it will be at least 2025 before this improved bus service is in place from Mulhuddart to the Tyrrelstown, Corduff, Hollywoodrath and Hollystown areas and for TU Dublin Blanchardstown. Between 3,000 to 4,000 students attend the TU. The 38 bus does not go into the college campus in the evenings and the mornings, leaving students with a 40-minute walk. The service frequency is at best every 30 minutes, but on many occasions it is much longer. The routes do not come into the campus. The biggest of the new estates in Dublin 15 are in that area, where there are hundreds of new houses and thousands are being proposed. The interesting thing is that the selling point for all of these developments is an improved bus and public transport system. It does not exist at the moment. It does not exist for the people attending TU Dublin Blanchardstown, for those in Corduff, Mulhuddart, Tyrrelstown, Hollywoodrath and Hollystown. I listened to the Minister's response. I think it is really important that we start moving on this as soon as possible.
I absolutely agree. The Government approved the draft of the new upgraded planning Bill earlier in the week. At the press conference, I was asked if I was supportive. I said I was and I was asked why. One of the reasons is that I can see as Minister for Transport how long it takes us to get projects from conception to being built. The Deputy is right. I would prefer if all those improvements to bus services were here this year but they are likely to be next year and the year after. That is because it takes us roughly ten years to get a bus lane from conception to completion. That is too long for a whole variety of reasons, including insufficient resources, particularly maybe insufficient resources in our planning system, but also because these things are politically difficult. Prioritisation of space so the bus system works quickly is not easy. It takes a lot of political courage.
On the earlier discussion, TU Dublin Blanchardstown is located on the same campus as the IDA business and technology park on the Blanchardstown Road. I would come back to what we were saying earlier about improving the bus services there, working with the IDA to help the campus itself and transport within it. That is another development we should look at, further to the discussions we had with Deputy Ó Cathasaigh earlier. We are absolutely committed to providing a better bus service in Dublin. We can look as well at other options and the likes of the N3, N4 or N11 to improve the bus corridors so that poor Deputy Kenny, in the event of an accident, is not stuck in traffic. He might be able to get the bus up from Leitrim and have a guaranteed arrival time.
For 8 o'clock in the morning.
Yes. That is the sort of ambition we need for improving public transport.
I cannot even get a train.
More than anything else, it requires the reallocation of road space, which requires brave decisions at local councillor level in particular. I expect An Bord Pleanála to start issuing the planning permissions for BusConnects in the coming weeks. Then we have to deliver. We have to collectively deliver in local authorities as well as in central government.
Time is up. We have to conclude Question Time and move on to questions to the Minister for Finance. The Minister might just take one supplementary question from Deputy Daly.
On that topic, I raise a bus route, the 272 from Ballybunnion through Listowel into Tralee. Could the Minister look at that as a matter of urgency? There are workers and students being left behind every morning bar Friday for the last number of weeks. I ask the Minister to look at extra capacity or maybe an extra bus on that route.
Is that one of our new Local Link Connecting Ireland bus services? Does the route have five services a day or three services a day?
It is five.
I would make the point that across the country, this investment in rural public transport is taking off like a rocket. Young people in particular are availing of those services. I will look at that because it is a success. It started in Kerry with the first one around the Dingle Peninsula. There was a twentyfold increase in passenger numbers. Irish people are dying to get to use public transport. What I hope is that when we start to see new services filling up, that gives us the case to go further. It requires money and political commitment but the Deputy will see no lack of that from this Government.
I thank the Minister. We will now move on to questions for the Minister for Finance.
