364. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Transport whether consideration will be given to reviewing the scheduling of bus routes C4 and W6 on the section of route shared between Maynooth and Celbridge; whether the NTA is aware that the current timetabling often results in both services operating within a few minutes of one another or running in convoy; whether consideration will be given to staggering the schedules of both routes to provide a more even 15-minute frequency on the shared corridor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60777/26]

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services, in conjunction with the relevant transport operators.

The performance of all public transport operators is monitored by the NTA as part of the contractual arrangements in place between it and the operators. These contractual arrangements allow for not just the monitoring of performance by the NTA and the publication by it of annual performance reports, but importantly, the contracts also allow for the imposition of financial penalties where performance does not meet the required standard.

The NTA's contracts with public transport operators have been strengthened in recent years, to incentivise operators to operate more reliable and punctual services, and they are also investing in a new vehicle location system for the fleet which will improve the reliability of the real time passenger information system.

We are seeing more people using public transport services and we are improving our fleet across the country and I am acutely aware that commuters need certainty around bus services.

In this regard, BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system, providing better bus services across cities and commuter towns. The programme covers the construction of new bus corridors, new network services, bus electrification and the development of enhanced ticketing, in an integrated manner to help maximise the benefits to public transport users.

The Network Redesign as part of Bus Connects was introduced to improve the existing bus network by providing high frequency spines and new local, orbital, and radial routes. Orbital routes are an important part of the new design as they offer an efficient way for passengers to travel without needing to pass through the city centre. The launch of W6 Orbital bus route in November 2024 merged the existing W61 and W62 routes, offering improved public transport links to key areas including Maynooth, Celbridge, improving connectivity, frequency, and access to Dublin city centre and regional transport networks.

The NTA 2026 service plan ensures that planning and strategic decisions are informed by both operational and resource considerations. These decisions are also made following operational and performance analysis of existing services, including customer feedback. To illustrate this, the most recent BusConnects progress report, published in December 2025 and covering Phases 5a & 5b and Phase 6a, shows that 8 out of 10 users are satisfied with the service, and 45% believe the bus service in their area has improved.

In light of the NTA's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the NTA for direct reply to provide more details on the specific question. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.