2026-02-26

90. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding the bus stop enhancement programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15421/26]

The bus stop enhancement programme, which is led by the NTA, is a nationwide programme that invests in bus infrastructure. It commits about €500,000 per year, which is not enough. There are problems with delivery, it is all very cumbersome and it takes a lot of time. I will get into some of the details shortly. Will the Minister give us an update on the programme?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist. Tá brón orm go raibh mé déanach. Shíl mé go raibh na ceisteanna ag tosnú ag 10.30 a.m. I welcome the Deputy's question on the bus stop enhancement programme. It is a relatively new programme. Choosing sustainable transport is not just a matter of where a bus or rail line goes on a map; it is about creating an interconnected network. For that, people need places to stop, start and make a change in their transport journey that is safe, comfortable and accessible. The NTA undertakes upgrades to bus stops and shelters across a number of schemes, including BusConnects, which is not included in the figures I will give the Deputy, Connecting Ireland, the active travel investment programme and, as the Deputy mentioned, the bus stop enhancement programme. That programme is a multi-annual initiative, which only commenced in 2024 and will run to 2029. Through the programme, funded by my Department, €500,000 is provided per local authority, not nationally, to enhance bus stop facilities at locations within the local authority administrative areas. Along with such funding, the NTA provides local authorities with bus shelters through its contractor, while also making the contractor available for the installation and subsequent maintenance of the bus shelters. Local authorities are required to undertake preparatory work ahead of the installation of shelters. It is intended to streamline the delivery. As the numbers show, the programme is ramping up. It is important that, for the first time, local authorities, through the NTA, have identified all the existing stops. We ask the local authorities to submit their plans. This covers not just the bus stops or shelters, as the Deputy knows, but also hard-core surfaces or the extension of footpaths to make them safer. The Deputy's question is valid. There is significant funding going into this programme and I want to see that ramped up. There is a very good pipeline. I will add more in my supplementary reply.

I thank the Minister for his reply and I accept what he said. However, it is important there is a stop in the first place, and stops must also be safe and accessible. An audit was prepared by many local authorities, including my own local authority, in 2024. The difficulty on the ground is that, two years on, the bus stops have not been delivered. An audit is prepared by the local authority, the stop is designed and approved by the municipal district, and the NTA is also involved. However, many of the bus stops have costs, whether it is €25,000 for a simple pole or, where there is more preparatory work involved, up to €75,000 when there is a shelter. We have a problem in Ballybunion where there are no bus stops. In Lixnaw, there are none either. Tourists on the Dingle Way are looking for a bus stop and there are none. It all seems to be ad hoc and this is causing a lot of frustration. We have had an awful lot of wet winters in recent years, and that is going to continue. There are students going to college, people going to work and tourists who do not know where there is a bus stop and if it going to be safe. They need to have bus stops. There is huge frustration on the ground that there is no delivery. If it costs up to €75,000 when preparatory work is done, €500,000 is not really going to deliver a lot of bus stops.

It is €500,000 per local authority. I have projected and we reckon the drawdown next year will be about €15.5 million, because we can see the pipeline that is coming through. In fairness, the Deputy has recognised this is a new programme. So far, under the bus stop enhancement programme, 100 bus stop locations and installations were done in 2025. There were ten new bus shelters, which is not a lot, throughout the State. There was an issue with the provider - I checked this out - because there is a new supplier of bus shelters. A significant number that have been ordered are in transit right now. I do not want to talk only about the enhancement programme. In 2025, BusConnects Dublin had 750 new stops installed. Portlaoise town services had 73 stops. In the Deputy's area of Cork and Kerry, the Clonmel contract - separate from BusConnects Cork - had 192 stops. Route 109 had 30 stops. Bus Éireann business-as-usual upgrades, which are to existing stops, numbered 343.

Is there something the Minister can do to speed up the process? For example, a section 38 planning notice has to be given. Can that be sped up in some way? We are playing catch-up because the infrastructure just is not there. It has not been provided for many years. What we need is a large amount of money to get these things over the line. I understand the NTA criteria are based on the number of services that use the bus stop as opposed to the number of people who use it. For someone standing on the Tralee to Listowel Road or standing in the rain in Ballybunion, the delivery just is not there. For people standing in west Kerry, one of the wettest parts of the country, a structure has not been provided. There are poorly marked stops on some rural roads. While there are primary and secondary criteria and priority, it is the people who are standing at bus stops on their own, in the dark, in the winter and in the rain who are feeling it most.

The Deputy's question is valid and the points he made are valid. In fairness, he acknowledged that it is a new scheme. I have given the Deputy details of some of the works that are ongoing. Work on another scheme in Mullingar commenced this week. It will include a further 60 bus stops, the majority of which were completed in 2025, but the remainder will be done there now. I agree with the Deputy's point with regard to the planning aspects, which can be cumbersome. I met the NTA about this yesterday in the Department. I am looking at how we can accelerate it. One of the issues has been the change in supplier. That has happened and a new supplier is in place for bus shelters. I was informed yesterday there are some 200 bus shelters have been produced and are on their way here. It is not an exact figure but they give the Deputy an indication. Those shelters will be installed and we will see a big ramping up. I am more than happy to look at the planning aspects of the issue. I have seen in my area of Fingal that it can be cumbersome. To be fair to the NTA, this is the first time we have had a particular focus on this area. On working with the local authorities, the Deputy cited three specific areas in his county. It is up to the local authorities as well to make sure they continue to interact with the NTA to prioritise bus stops. We are working with the local authorities on this.