Wicklow bus services
Deputy Brady complained of repeated delays and funding problems for Wicklow bus routes, including the 199 and 132. The Taoiseach said transport services had expanded and the Minister was working with the NTA and TII on further improvements.
The people of Wicklow are constantly being let down by chronic failures in public transport. The badly needed 199 Bray to Glendalough bus service promised in 2024 and procured last year is still not operating there. People in Wicklow are equally frustrated by the two-year delay in upgrading the chronically unreliable 132 route, leaving west Wicklow commuters stranded, with buses continuously breaking down. For months now, the Department, along with the NTA, has repeated that no funding is currently available for new services in 2026, and discussions are ongoing. How much longer must Wicklow communities wait? There has been €7 million spent on storing electric vehicle buses due to a lack of charging infrastructure; €20,000 on storing another 98 buses for God knows how long; and a failing IT system in Irish Rail, with €50 million being written off. The question has to be asked: where is the so-called Minister for Transport in this? When will the Minister finally take responsibility for-----
Comment on this
----- his ministry, do his job, stop the waste and deliver services?
Comment on this
There were about 15 questions there but I think the Deputy started with the 199 Bray to Glendalough route, which I understand is a significant issue; other Deputies from Wicklow have also made that point to me. Obviously, there has been a significant expansion in transport services in recent years, with considerable public expenditure allocated to it. We are continuing to look at other services that need to be expanded and the Minister will be working with the NTA and TII on a range of issues in that respect.