I welcome the Minister of State, who is a former Member of the House, back to Seanad Éireann in his new capacity. I think I saw his father in Leinster House earlier. He might be coming back to visit us as well.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Housing Provision
I welcome the Minister of State. He was here last week on an related matter, which is fairly interesting. Last week I talked about regulation for the public sector compared with regulation for the private sector. If there was a case to be made for my proposals last week, the matter I am raising today illustrates the sort of problems and challenges we have around our public housing.
Let us get to the point. The headline on a recent article by Olivia Kelly in The Irish Times stated that the Government had refused funding for the regeneration of Pearse House flats in Dublin city centre . That prompted me to look into the matter in more detail. I read all of the national papers every day. I made contact with Dublin City Council and some of the councillors involved in Dublin city and I made a number of other inquiries. It appears that the Department of housing and local government has refused funding for Dublin City Council's plans to regenerate the Pearse House complex. I understand that the Department has decided not to fund the proposed project of amalgamating smaller flat units to create new larger homes on the site. The reason cited by the Department is that the council's plans would result in a reduction in the total number of homes, despite the fact that the existing smaller flat units do not meet the current minimum size standards.
The first phase of the work would have seen 78 flats in the 1930s Pearse House complex, which, as a protected structure is a complication in itself, amalgamate into 44 new residential units for the city. That is something that I thought the Minister of State and the Department, and certainly I, would very much welcome. Seven years ago Dublin City Council announced plans to regenerate more than 6,000 of Dublin city's oldest flats, many of which are in a state of dilapidation, under a 15-year plan to raise social housing standards across the city. Many of the older residential flats on Dublin City Council's books simply do not meet the current building standards regarding accessibility, fire safety and building quality and have significant issues, including mould, condensation, sewerage problems and issues around health and safety. All these are issues I spelled out to the Minister of State only a week ago. He will be aware that Dublin City Council was the subject of a 2017 ruling from the European Committee of Social Rights relating to the poor condition of some of its older flat complexes. The Strasbourg-based committee found the human rights of tenants had been breached because of the failure to provide them with adequate housing.
In 2020 Dublin City Council produced plans for the Pearse House complex. The Minister of State is aware of them. The complex has 345 social flats designed by the renowned architect Herbert Simms and built around 1936. There are challenges with these buildings. We know that. The project was to be completed in 11 phases over 12 to 15 years, reducing the number of flats to between 215 and 275. We have not even got the first phase of this plan under way. In response to queries the Department said it was not in a position to support a proposal that would result in significant loss of homes. Surely, it has to be about quality and standards rather than numbers. The numbers are quite small and I am not sure what all that is about. It has been suggested by some that this is simply a delaying tactic by the Department to come behind the scheme. I am not saying that, but it has been suggested.
St. Michan's House, Chancery House, Oliver Bond House and Markievicz House are old complexes that need significant work. We need to show the local authority that we are behind them. I am interested to hear the Minister of State's response.
I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this important matter. Pearse House, as he rightly pointed out, is a flat complex of some 345 homes which was designed by the city housing architect, Mr. George Herbert Simms, and built between 1936 and 1938 for Dublin Corporation under the housing Act 1932. The project plan for the regeneration of Pearse House is a matter for the local authority concerned. However, Dublin City Council has advised the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage that it is further developing proposals to advance the regeneration of the flat complex. Having first received capital appraisal approval from my Department in April 2021, the subsequent pre-planning proposal by Dublin City Council for the regeneration of blocks L, M, N and P in Pearse House was to reduce the number of homes from 78 to 44. This would have resulted in the council having to find permanent accommodation for some 34 families. We are all very acutely aware of the challenges in terms of social housing provision across the country and the Department was not in a position at that time to support proposals that would result in a significant loss of homes.
Dublin City Council, however, has informed the Department that it has instructed its integrated design team to review the design strategy to maximise all possibilities to ensure that the maximum number of homes are available post-refurbishment. This work is currently ongoing and the council will continue to liaise with the Department of housing in order to progress the submission of the revised funding application. This work will ensure the project continues to fruition with the optimal design for all parties concerned.
One of the challenges of the project is that the Pearse House complex is included on Dublin City Council's record of protected structures. This presents certain complexities when undertaking structural works, as the Senator will appreciate. As stipulated in section 51(1) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, the formulation of the record of protected structures is a reserved function of the elected members and the planning authority. As per section 30 of the Act, and notwithstanding sections 28 or 29, the Minister "shall not exercise any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or the Board is or may be concerned". A review of the record of the protected structures is typically undertaken as part of the development plan review process. The planning authority can also make an addition to or deletion from the record of protected structures at any time, following the procedures set out under the Act.
As I said already, Dublin City Council will revert to the Department following the design appraisal it is currently undertaking in order to maximise the quantum of housing that will be delivered on the site post-regeneration and the Department looks forward to receiving those proposals.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. This ties in with the issue of standards in the public and private sector, which we will revisit at another time. In relation to Pearse House we need to send out a clear message. Are we committed or not? The fact that the complex is a protected structure is not the issue here. There are challenges around protected structures. The Minister of State and I, as former councillors, know that is a reserved function. The councillors have taken advice and made that decision. In fact, I understand the Department is very sympathetic to the retention to old housing stock. We have to respond to the challenges.
The key message is that we cannot encourage a local authority to go down a road and then stop it halfway. These homes are in one of the most deprived parts of Dublin. This is very old social housing stock and we cannot compromise on quality and standards. There are regulations set down about current standards and the standards that apply in the private sector must also apply in the public sector and vice versa. That is the problem. I am not prepared to stand over, sell or make a case for compromised sizes or standards in accommodation for people regardless of their income or where they are coming from. I urge the Minister of State to ensure that departmental officials make this a priority.
Again, I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I wish to state unequivocally that the Department is absolutely committed to this regeneration and the regeneration of many other flat complexes across the country but we have to get it right. That is why we are awaiting proposals from Dublin City Council in that regard.
We provide funding through a number of channels: the social housing investment programme, the affordable housing fund, the capital advance leasing facility, the cost rental equity loan and regeneration for remedial works, and these are through our estate regeneration fund. We look forward to receiving those proposals from Dublin City Council when they are forthcoming in order that we can find that balance between the quantum of units to be delivered on the site to regenerate the site to a high quality standard for the people who live there and ensure we continue work across other areas as well as Pearse House.
Fire Service
I welcome the Minister of State. I call on the Minister to urgently commission a national review of the fire brigade service areas boundaries to ensure the response times and provision of services align with the most recent census figures and, more importantly, with the real need of our people on the ground. I ask for an independent national review of this as well. This is not just a call for policy. It is a call for protection and preparedness on behalf of the lives that depend on a timely emergency response.
Recent events in Roscommon and Longford have laid bare the pressure our fire services are under, particularly in rural areas and areas with growing populations of older people. On 9 April of this year, it was reported in our local paper that 55 firefighters from five separate fire stations - Ballaghaderreen, Ballyhaunis, Boyle, Charlestown and Elphin - were needed to tackle a gorse fire in Loughglinn stretching over 800 acres. Three weeks later, three fire brigades were called to a similar incident between Trien and Willliamstown. Following the five fire brigades' dealing with the initial fire, they had to attend again the following day to ensure there were no residual fires or risks to local plantations, but the threat was still live.
These are not isolated incidents; they are warnings. My colleague sitting behind me, Senator Brady, just dealt with a very big bog fire in County Longford over the weekend, which also required the services of approximately four fire brigades and lasted for more than two days. There are serious questions of what happens when multiple fire brigades are pulled to fires like this and who covers the towns and communities left behind? Are we satisfied we have accounted for the growing vulnerability of our population, especially in towns with higher populations of older residents who may need help more quickly or who may not be able to evacuate as quickly? Are we satisfied our fire services are distributed fairly and efficiently?
Let me be clear about this, our fire services are doing extraordinary work. We are very proud of our fire services in the west and in my county of Roscommon. I am very proud of the work they do and the hours they put into it but they do so under significant strain, especially at times like this. For example, Castlerea in County Roscommon, my hometown, has a population of 3,000 to 3,500 people and the fire station has been closed since 2017. Last Wednesday evening, after I tabled this Commencement matter, there was a house fire in a built up residential area in Tarmon Manor at 7.30 p.m. A retired fire officer from Sligo spoke on the radio the following morning and said that if the station had existed in Castlerea, the response time would have been seven to nine minutes. Without the station, the nearest fire units are located approximately 16 miles away, meaning a response time of 20 to 30 minutes. In an emergency, that is not just the difference between a scorched field or a lost home; it is the difference between life and death.
We need a strategic review that considers the updated population data; the latest census information, including age demographics, which I believe will show that certain areas have a higher percentage of older people; a response time analysis across all regions; and the impact of increased climate related events such as the more frequent and intense gorse and bog fires we see at the moment. We must future-proof our fire service provision and ensure no community is left exposed. I urge the Minister to act now, not after the next emergency and definitely not after the next loss of life. Conduct a review that will give our fire services the support and resources they need, or add to those supports, but conduct a review that will, above all, give our communities the safety they deserve and, for communities like my hometown, the cover they deserve.
I thank Senator Scahill for raising this important matter. He also spoke to me about the issue in Castlerea, separate to this Commencement matter. It is a very important issue and I thank him for raising it.
The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and a provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act 1981.
Keeping Communities Safe was adopted as Government policy in 2013 and is based on the internationally used systemic risk management approach combining fire safety, fire protection in the built environment and fire service response measures. Keeping Communities Safe provides for the delivery of consistent and effective fire services in Ireland while continuing to reduce the risk from fires in communities and prioritising the safety of fire personnel in their work. The policy sets out the overall approach, the methods and the techniques to achieve the objective of keeping communities safe from fire, and it sets out national norms, standards and targets against which local authorities can benchmark their fire services.
Over the course of 2014 and 2015, an external validation group commissioned by the management board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management visited every fire service in the country as part of a new external validation process arising from the implementation of Keeping Communities Safe. In April 2016, the management board published the first external validation group report, entitled Local Delivery - National Consistency. The findings of the first external validation group process are available on the Department’s website. In 2020, a desktop review, entitled the Capacity Review, was undertaken by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management. Following its completion, a report titled Response, Resilience & Recovery was completed in October 2020. The findings of this review indicated a strong capacity in terms of fire safety and operation efficacy across the fire services.
Keeping Communities Safe provides for each fire service to undertake an area risk categorisation process in respect of each of its fire station areas. The outcome of this process enables fire service management to establish a risk grading across very high risk, high risk, medium risk, low risk or very low risk categories for each fire station area. In recognition of population movements and changes in the built environment over time leading to variation in the categories of response times which are applicable, Keeping Communities Safe also sets out a requirement to monitor risk categories.
The area risk categorisation is a critical tool for ensuring fire service resources are used effectively and efficiently, and that the safety of the public is prioritised in all communities. By assessing and classifying areas based on defined risk factors, fire services can demonstrate an evidence-based approach to service delivery. Fire authorities determine the priority needs in their areas and apply resources in the most effective configuration, ensuring an appropriate and effective balance between fire prevention, fire protection and response measures. Appropriate mitigation measures and, in particular, community fire safety measures such as the smoke alarm scheme, which provides free smoke alarms to vulnerable households, including optical alarms for the deaf and hard of hearing, are funded by my Department and are being utilised to increase the safety of public dwellings.
It is intended that, later this year, there will be a second process in terms of that area risk and external validation group, which I can talk more about in the follow-up.
To reiterate, the fire service we and all Senators in this House have is a service we are very proud of. That does not mean, however, we should not look for more and better. I can only speak of my own home area, but in rural areas like Castlerea, where residents have limited mobility and live in isolated locations, delayed emergency services can have life-threatening consequences.
Based on the figures in the NOAC local authority performance indicators in recent years, the national average cost per capita of the fire service is between €61.50 and €63.50. The cost per capita for the fire service in my local authority area in Roscommon is €36.86 to €38.50. I believe there is an imbalance in certain areas and a review would highlight that.
I again thank Senator Scahill. I too want to put on record my thanks to all the fire service personnel in the country who, when we often go in the opposite direction, run into danger in order to try to protect lives.
I confirm that a second external validation group review - No. 2 - has been commissioned by the management board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management. That process is scheduled to begin in quarter 3 of this year, with the external validation group conducting in-person evaluation visits within each fire authority. That will be a positive as it will look at everything Senator Scahill has asked for, in terms of demographic movements and how we respond to events as they occur in a safe manner, while also ensuring we put in place the supports on the prevention side as well. I thank him for raising this important Commencement matter.
Local Authorities
The Minister of State is very welcome back to the Seanad. The housing crisis we face is not news to him or to any of us here in the Chamber. I compliment him on the work and efforts he has commenced since taking over his brief. His knowledge is impeccable. He has experience of being his party spokesperson for housing in the previous Seanad and he also worked on the issue while in local government. I wish him the best. I look forward to supporting his efforts in his role in this Ministry.
The housing crisis is very complex and I welcome the efforts the Minister of State is beginning to make in regard to more flexibility and less red tape and regulation to empower people to have choice. A person with space in their back garden, for example, has more liberty and autonomy to improve living conditions for themselves and their family, based on their circumstance. That flexibility is very welcome.
What would also be very welcome is more devolved power and decision-making for local authorities. Like the Minister of State, I have come through the local council and I believe local authorities have a role to play. It is not just a case of making one or two decisions; it is a very complex situation and each theme needs diligent efforts.
Irish Water is a topic that comes up regularly. The chief executive, Niall Gleeson, identified recently during a speech to mark the opening of the Arklow wastewater treatment plant, which is heralded as an excellent facility that is best-in-class investment, that the greater Dublin drainage project was proposed at the same time as the Arklow wastewater treatment plant. If they had both progressed at the same speed, the greater Dublin drainage project would have cost €600 million, but it is now expected to cost the State approximately €1.2 billion.
The proposal that I bring forward this afternoon relates to improved expedience through the Part 8 process for local authorities to progress critical infrastructure for Uisce Éireann. It is for the common good and is in the interest of every local authority representative in the country because it benefits communities by improving water quality, wastewater supply and infrastructure. Critically, that would also unlock housing, which is in such challenging circumstances and is limiting the prosperity of the State to such an extent. Will the Minister of State consider devolving more autonomy to local authorities through the Part 8 process?
This would mean that there would not be a mechanism for An Bord Pleanála to intervene, as the Minister knows, but it would also provide for public consultation. This would be a good means of improving and unlocking critical infrastructure that is within the common good. It would help to expedite the development of critical infrastructure that can unlock additional housing supply and ambition. I welcome the Minister of State's efforts regarding the planning exemption for the modular units. We need to support such a common-sense proposal in a collective manner. Local councillors should have stronger levers for residential developments. I welcome the Minister of State’s consideration of this important topic.
I thank Senator Duffy for his kind words, which I appreciate, and for giving me an opportunity to update the House on planning legislation and particularly applications by Uisce Éireann. While the Planning and Development Act 2024 was signed into law in October 2024, its provisions have not yet been commenced. Until all of it is in place, the 2000 Act will remain in force.
All development requires development permission unless it is specifically exempted. As such, Uisce Éireann is required to adhere to planning legislation and seek the necessary planning permissions where required. At present, Uisce Éireann can apply to a planning authority for planning permission under section 34 of the 2000 Act for development that is not strategic infrastructure. The process provides that where no further information is required from Uisce Éireann, a planning authority shall make a decision within eight weeks of the date of the application, in accordance with section 34(8) of the 2000 Act. This eight-week period is considered reasonable for the making of a decision. A decision of a planning authority under section 34 of the 2000 Act may be subject to appeal by An Bord Pleanála under section 37 of that Act. The board has a statutory objective to meet timelines of appeal within 18 weeks.
For applications for permission that fall under the category of strategic infrastructure, such as a wastewater treatment plant with capacity to cater for a population of 10,000 or more, Uisce Éireann is required to apply directly to An Bord Pleanála under section 37E of the 2000 Act. The board has a statutory objective to make a decision on such an application within 18 weeks of the last day of the period for the making of submissions, which is a period of not less than six weeks in accordance with section 37E(3)(a) of the 2000 Act. The timeline for a decision is a minimum of 24 weeks.
The Senator is proposing that applications by Uisce Éireann should undergo the Part 8 process through partnership with local authorities to avail of the "local authority own development" procedures under section 179 of the 2000 Act. When no environmental impact assessment is required, local authorities follow the Part 8 process, which is a reserved function of elected members. This process includes a period of not less than four weeks for the making of submissions by the public under Article 81 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001. Under section 179 of the 2000 Act, following the public submission period, the chief executive has eight weeks for the making of a report on the proposed development for submission to the elected members. Finally, the elected members have six weeks to make a decision on the proposed development, which means that there is a total of 18 weeks for decisions under the Part 8 process.
I can confirm it is open to local authorities to enter into partnership with any party, including Uisce Eireann. However, a development under the Part 8 process requires a full majority of the council to approve the project. Additionally, the members of the local authority may, by resolution, vary or modify the proposal by Uisce Éireann, which could present a risk to the project in question. However, I believe there is merit in this proposal to unlock development in towns and villages with populations under 10,000. I am engaging with my officials in this regard. I am conscious of time. Developments that require an EIA are above that threshold. There is limited scope in improving time periods in that regard. However, there may be scope to further tease out the provisions in respect of developments that do not require the Part 8 process, which are typically those involving areas below 10,000 in population.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am heartened by it in terms of the consideration and the flexibility that could be given to local authorities. In a partnership process, any semi-State or any body that tries to develop critical infrastructure that is in the common good and the public good must be supported. I encourage Uisce Éireann and other such bodies to work with local authorities to make sure they avail of these partnership processes because it can help remove the Bord Pleanála difficulties and help expedite planning developments.
I support that work and encourage the Minister of State to consider amending the wastewater discharge regulations, which are linked through Uisce Éireann. I know they are causing delays as well as the permissions. The EPA also has a licensing challenge which can delay developments, so a bit more flexibility and less bureaucracy on that for small incremental improvements would be really supported and welcomed by Uisce Éireann. Ultimately, it will help us build and deliver more houses. I would really welcome the Minister of State's input on it all and his support for it.
It is about that. It is about unlocking development in our smaller towns and villages. Anything that can speed up the process is being considered. That is not to ignore requirements. As regards EIAs and those towns above 10,000 in population, I have set out that there is limited scope because it goes to the board and goes through that statutory process, whether it is through the local authority or through Uisce Éireann. Where there may be scope to be able to improve in terms of timelines in partnership with local authorities is for those that are below that through the Part 8 process, in partnership. We have to remember that when local authorities had control of water and wastewater, it was standard to use the Part 8 process. It is therefore possible, and we are scoping out what is possible in terms of guidance around that. As I said, anything that can speed up the process in terms of delivering infrastructure to be able to facilitate more homes is what I am all about, and I will explore all those avenues.
I thank the Minister of State for responding to that.
Bus Services
We welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, to the House.
The Minister of State is very welcome. It is great to have him here again. I am particularly delighted to get the opportunity to address through this Commencement matter an issue I am particularly passionate about. It is a matter I have been working on for a number of years, that is, the broader matter of the improved public transport and active travel facilities for the citizens of Limerick city and county.
Today we are dealing specifically with a proposal I have submitted to the National Transport Authority for the inclusion of Annacotty Business Park in Limerick BusConnects, which we hope will soon be commenced . The ambitious plans included in Limerick BusConnects are most welcome. I compliment the staff at the NTA, the staff at Limerick City and County Council and the many councillors across the metropolitan region who contributed to it as well as the very many stakeholders who contributed to the two years of public consultation and the development of the second iteration of the draft Limerick BusConnects plan, which became the finalised plan and was published in December 2023. It includes an increased frequency of bus services across Limerick city and suburbs, an increased number of new bus routes and the introduction of 24-hour bus services on some routes, facilitating the development of an all-day economy for the first time in Limerick. There is a 70% increase in the number of bus services to be provided to Limerick city and suburbs when Limerick BusConnects is fully operational. That moves us into the space of becoming a true modern, small but very proud and ambitious European city. We are very grateful for the work that has been done by all the agencies and public servants to date.
However, I am talking to the Minister of State today about an important area that I and many stakeholders believe was omitted from those ambitious plans, namely, Annacotty Business Park. It is the largest indigenous industrial park in Limerick county. It is home to 33 businesses and 4,000 employees. They are going into and out of the business park every day and there is no bus stop there. I have engaged with the members in the park and their employees. There would be a huge appetite to see increased services, not just for the benefits they would bring right now to people who are working there but also for the future development of the park and the potential for the mostly indigenous businesses in the park to expand. As the Minister of State knows, if there are no public transport facilities for proposed developments, then we have to provide car parking spaces. Currently, businesses within the park are constricted in their expansion ambitions because of that.
The provision of this public transport loop would also have a beneficial impact for St Vincent's special school in Lisnagry, which has more than 500 people working and availing of the facilities there, and indeed for many hospitality businesses on the east side of Annacotty, including Finnegans bar and restaurant, which has capacity for 250 people seated for meals, is under new management in recent years and, with its great new energy, from an employment perspective and a connectivity perspective, could absolutely do with improved connectivity. I thank the Minister of State for his time and ask for his support in a trial expansion of facilities to the Annacotty Business Park, to measure the uptake in the services and the benefit to the surrounding area.
I thank Senator Ryan for her ongoing advocacy. I know she wrote to and communicated with the NTA last month regarding Annacotty Business Park I commend her on that. I am taking the matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport. It gives me an opportunity to provide Senator Ryan and the House with an update on sustainable mobility options in Limerick.
The Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area transport strategy has been developed by the NTA to deliver an accessible, integrated transport network that enables the sustainable growth of Limerick up to 2040, allowing it to take its place in Europe as a city of its size, as Senator Ryan said, including the upgraded bus system for the area. Significant progress has been made in delivering key projects detailed in the Limerick-Shannon region, including the BusConnects Limerick programme, as the Senator indicated. BusConnects will be transformative for all five of our cities, including Limerick. Two years ago, the NTA carried out an extensive review of the bus network in Limerick, in collaboration with Limerick City and County Council, Clare County Council, and Bus Éireann, and with the specialised expertise of transport designers Jarrett Walker and Associates. Following public consultation, the NTA published its final new bus network for Limerick in December 2023. The redesign of the bus network is one of the nine key elements of BusConnects Limerick that aims to transform the city’s bus system, making public transport more useful to more people. The new bus network will enable more people to avail of public transport, resulting in increased access to a greater number of schools and workplaces across Limerick city. Overall, approximately 41% of residents will live within 400 m of a high-frequency bus route, running every 15 minutes or better. In addition to the above, the first phase of battery-electric bus charging infrastructure came on stream at Bus Éireann’s Roxboro depot in Limerick last year, allowing 34 double-deck battery-electric buses to enter passenger service in Limerick also in 2024. The second phase of battery-electric bus charging infrastructure was substantially complete at the end of 2024, and an additional 21 double-deck battery-electric buses are expected to enter passenger service throughout this year.
Regarding the matter raised by Senator Ryan in respect of the design of the network and the exclusion of Annacotty Business Park, the new bus network was published in draft form in March 2023 for public consultation, during which in excess of 650 responses to this consultation were received. This feedback was taken into account in the design of the final new network plan.
During the public consultation process, the NTA received feedback about the potential to extend the service to Annacotty Business Park. On review, it was decided that the provision of service to Annacotty Business Park through the Connecting Ireland programme would be a more efficient way to connect the business park with public transport. The NTA is currently working with Bus Éireann to identify how and when this need will be met and officials in the Department of Transport continue to engage with the NTA on the matter. Senator Ryan made reference to that. In her letter to the NTA, she wrote about the trial experience, which we should look at again. I will bring her concerns to the Department.
More generally, improvements in bus services in Limerick city proposed via BusConnects and the Limerick Shannon metropolitan area transport strategy will ensure a range of sustainable transport options are available to the people of Limerick. The strategy also recommends a number of improvements to rail infrastructure in the area, including a new rail station in Moyross, increasing the frequency of services on the Ballybrophy line up to two trains per hour, dual track between Limerick Junction and Colbert Station and the upgrading of Colbert Station.
In addition, the final report of the all-Ireland strategic rail review, which will inform the development of the railway sector on the island of Ireland over the coming decades and was published in July last year, calls for proposals to improve rail services in the Limerick area, including the electrification of the route between Dublin and Limerick, an upgrade to Limerick Junction and the Limerick Junction to Waterford line, along with a spur from Sixmilebridge and Cratloe to Shannon Airport.
I thank the Senator for her contribution. The reply may not be what she wants, but she has made a good case in the House today.
Before I bring Senator Ryan back in, I welcome to the Gallery the Probus retirement group, special guests of the Ceann Comhairle, Deputy Verona Murphy. I presume they are from the Wexford area. They are not. My father was once a very active member of Probus. I know what incredible work the organisation does. I send best wishes from everybody here in the House and wish you continued good success.
The group is very welcome. We have a vibrant Probus group in Limerick. I hope to have them to the Oireachtas at some stage.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. I appreciate its thoroughness. As I said, we are very excited in Limerick about the ambition of the overall Limerick Shannon metropolitan area transport strategy, which had great engagement from people right across the community. People are looking forward to the roll-out of the improved facilities. In fact, we can see the work being done in terms of the provision of improved footpaths and cycle lanes and the development of the turning circle. We can see the capital investment that is happening. I met Mr. Creegan, the acting CEO of the NTA, and regularly engage on this with other public representatives. Mr. Creegan has agreed to consider my proposal for a trial Annacotty Business Park loop. The loop would stop on the Dublin Road opposite St. Vincent's special school and proceed to the Cappamore Road and Annacotty Business Park. I raise the matter today to flag it with the Department and to seek the support and consideration of the Minister of State for the proposed trial route.
I welcome the group to the Gallery. I share Senator Ryan's positivity regarding BusConnects and public transport in Limerick. As a country, we are redesigning our bus network and Limerick is at the forefront of that in terms of the provision of more public transport. As I said, there has been a 70% increase in bus services in Limerick city and suburbs, shorter waits, more direct routes, simpler network and scheduling, additional services at weekends and a new 24-hour bus route between UHL, the city centre and the University of Limerick.
In addition, following feedback from the public, the NTA and Bus Éireann are currently considering how best to provide the bus service to Annacotty Business Park as part of the Connecting Ireland programme. Senator Ryan makes a good case and in her letter to the NTA she set out in a detailed way, illustratively and in writing, how the route can be of benefit to everybody. I will bring her contribution to the Department, the Minister and the NTA.
It is important that all of us join in the celebration of the roll-out of the redesigned bus routes across Limerick city and county. It is about ensuring we have improvements under the Connecting Ireland programme, including Annacotty Business Park. I will bring the Senator's contribution back. It is about taking more people out of cars and using public transport more. If we can have creative, innovate ways of doing that, let us do it. What the Senator put forward, both in her detailed and comprehensive submission and today in the House, certainly adds value to the offering we can provide in Limerick.
I thank the Minister of State for his time in the House.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 3.20 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 3.35 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 3.20 p.m. and resumed at 3.35 p.m.