2026-01-15

99. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Transport the reason the commencement date for the roll out of the N8 orbital bus route linking Blanchardstown with Dublin Airport has been delayed further to 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3199/26]

Blanchardstown is about 14 km away from Dublin Airport and yet we have not had a direct bus route linking the two since 2010. We have heard a number of commitments that this route, the N8 under BusConnects, would be delivered. However, we are now told that the route has been pushed back until 2027. Is it because of a lack of funding that the N8 orbital route from Blanchardstown to Dublin Airport is not being delivered in 2026, as had been committed to?

I thank the Deputy for his question. He will be aware that BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in our bus network and system that will provide much better services across our cities, covering Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway. It is the largest investment in our bus system in the history of the State and is managed by the NTA. The city programmes cover 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 the public, the customers. The network redesign as part of BusConnects Dublin will improve the existing bus network by providing high frequency spines and new local, orbital and radial routes. Orbital routes are a really important part of the new design as they offer an efficient way for passengers to travel without needing to pass through the city centre. New bus services in Dublin are already being delivered as part of BusConnects. Since 2021, we have rolled out the first seven phases of the network redesign in Dublin. This has included the northern orbital routes connecting Blanchardstown to the Point Village in 2022 and the western orbital routes connecting Blanchardstown to Tallaght in 2023. This new N8 route is really important. The Deputy raised it just before Christmas. It will connect Blanchardstown with Dublin Airport. It is still planned to have the service in place late this year, in 2026. We have just mentioned the NTA's service plan. We have to get that back. The Deputy will be aware of how this works. We will announce all the routes in the round. That has to be stepped through. We also need the human resources to do it. Blanchardstown and the Dublin 15 area is a major growth area. The Deputy and I represent different parts of Fingal. We will continue to improve the public transport offering there. We are seeing people's response to this in the record number of public transport journeys. The Dublin Bus figures for 2025 show a further increase. With Transdev and the Luas, we have an increase of a million journeys there alone. Overall, BusConnects will transform bus services in our cities. The N8 is a very important route and we intend to get that in later this year.

I will give the Minister a bit of a history of the delays with the N8. I wrote to the NTA in August of 2024 and was told the N8 would be launched in 2025. In April 2025, when I enquired with the NTA about where it was at, I was told it would start in quarter 2 of 2026. In September of last year the Minister said in this Chamber that it could potentially be introduced "within the next year. To be clear, next year, that is, by the end of 2026". That is what the Minister said in September. I wrote to the NTA over Christmas and got a reply on 5 January this year which says that it currently anticipates implementation of phase 9 and specifically the N8 to be in 2027, subject to funding and operational readiness. The Minister has said 2026; that is not what the NTA is telling me. It has obviously assessed a longer timeframe. It is not fair to the commuters who want to get to the airport, or the workers in Dublin 15 who work there. The constant chopping and changing of this deadline is not fair either.

My answer today is consistent with the answer I gave the Deputy in September. I plan to get the N8 up and running in 2026. We have done other things with BusConnects as well. We have started the first two quality bus corridors. Liffey Valley corridor is under construction now. I have signed the contracts. There is major investment in that scheme, about €200 million. We have signed the contracts now for Ballymun-Finglas as well and that will start construction this year. Not only are the services going in but the infrastructure is going in, coupled with and complemented by active travel schemes along those routes. I want to get the service in place in 2026. As the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, outlined in response to a previous question, we need the NTA service plan. I expect that imminently. Three Ministers will go through that plan, taking into account the expert view with regard to the National Transport Authority. We will then assess that plan. We made a very significant step forward with regard to increases in the PSO of about 46% in this budget. That means not being dependent on constant supplementary budgets, which was the case over the previous five years. Myself and the Ministers of State, Deputies Buttimer and Canney, want to ensure that is not the way we move forward. I reiterate that the answer is 2026.

The Minister's answers are consistent but unfortunately they are not consistent with what the NTA told me last week. The Minister is saying the NTA service plan for the year is coming to him. That is great. Is the Minister going to go through that? Can he commit to us here that he is going to say to the NTA that 2027 is not acceptable and that he wants the N8 delivered in 2026? It is clearly flagging what is coming in on its service plan to the Minister. It is going say 2027, a further delay for Dublin 15 commuters. Is the Minister able to commit that he will say to the NTA that is not acceptable and the N8 orbital link has to be delivered in 2026?

Those in the NTA are very good colleagues. We have a new chief executive in place now. They are very competent at what they do. I want this service in place 2026 and I will be saying that to them. I have said that to them. I do not control every letter that goes out from the NTA. It does a very good job and it has more resources now than it has ever had. Thankfully, because of the hard work of our people and the good economic management of the last Government and this one, we have moneys to invest and continue to invest in public transport. Our bus network is just one element of it. What needs to be understood, and is understood in the NTA, and I and the Ministers of State, Deputies Buttimer and Canney, will be reinforcing it, is that Dublin 15 and the Fingal area is a major growth area in our country. That is not just because I represent part of it. We can look at south Dublin as well. There are areas that have seen significant growth where we need to further improve the public transport offering. To answer the Deputy directly, will I be saying to the NTA that I want this service in place in 2026? Yes. I am saying it here on the floor of the House. My answer is consistent with what I said to the Deputy in September. I thank him for raising the matter. I know the importance of getting this route up and running. It will be very successful and heavily used, I have no doubt about it.