Seán Canney

The current status of the project is to provide for the bus priority measures, active travel, junction safety and strategic network resilience on the N11-M11 between junctions 4 and 14. This major scheme is at the options selection phase - preferred route open selection. It is important that we look at this in the context that it is being delivered by TII in conjunction with Wicklow County Council…

I am glad the Deputy raised this question because it is a problem throughout the country. I understand his frustration. I will first provide an outline. The Road Safety Authority Act 2006 gave statutory responsibility for the national driver test service to the RSA. At the end of April, the average estimated time for invitation to test for a candidate was 25 weeks. I am told the waiting time for …

I recognise and feel the Deputy's frustration because I know and feel it myself in my own constituency. People contact me to say their test has been postponed up to five or six times. They are young people, healthcare workers, the whole shooting match. I assure the Deputy that I am treating this as an emergency. I met RSA representatives last week and asked them to come back to me next week with f…

I am delighted that Deputy Gogarty is talking about coming to Galway. We want people to come to Galway. At the outset, I wish to clarify that while the Minister for Transport, Deputy O’Brien, has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, neither he, the Minister of State or our officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. Th…

The Deputy makes a strong case. I am listening. I assure him that the Minister for Transport recognises that transport connectivity is hugely important for people who live and work in Ireland and that expanding the public transport network and increasing service levels throughout the country will lead to more balanced regional development and greater connectivity. The Deputy spoke about Lucan and …

I thank the Deputy for his very precise request and for raising this topic, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy O’Brien. The Minister has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, neither he nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsibility for securing th…

Let me bring some balance to this. Single fares for some routes will be reduced significantly. Drogheda to Dublin Connolly will drop from €11.95 to €6, which is a 50% reduction. Conversely, some fares will increase, most notably in Greystones, Sallins and Naas, and Skerries, which fall outside the city zone. Within the Dublin city zone - the 25 km radius from the city centre - the fares determina…

I want to express my total confidence in Deputy Verona Murphy as Ceann Comhairle of this House. She is a woman of great vision and strength, and it is important that she be allowed to continue as the first woman to serve as Ceann Comhairle here. People have talked about last week and the scenes that were in here in the Chamber. I am not going to repeat them. Suffice to say, the people on the grou…

As the Deputy may be aware, a number of significant improvements are planned across Ireland's rail network over the coming years, including on the Dublin to Rosslare line. Last year, some changes to timetables on the line were introduced, including a new late evening service between Wexford and Gorey. I look forward to similar such timetable improvements being introduced in the coming years. My De…

I hear the Deputy's frustration when he suggests there should be better and more frequent services. This is where the all-island rail review comes into focus. Improvements in the line to Wexford and Rosslare are part of the overall plan. Some of the infrastructural investment that has to go in will be a challenge, considering where the line is and the infrastructure that will be required. It is im…

We are on the same wavelength here. We need proper investment and to deliver infrastructure that suits people's demands. On the Dublin-Belfast issue, the popularity of the train service has created additional demand. That is a good thing. It means it is working. We have to keep it working right across the country and put investment into it. We also have to provide a good passenger experience to r…

I thank the Deputy. As she may be aware, the NTA published the final new bus network design for Galway in December 2023. The redesign of the bus network is one of the key elements of BusConnects Galway, which aims to transform the city’s bus system, making public transport more useful to more people. This new Galway network redesign involves extensive analysis and public consultation. The NTA car…

I, too, question why we have to wait two years to get it implemented. It is something I will be going back on because it is important that we deliver infrastructure faster. The Government's approach is to implement things rather than strategise them. We have enough of the paperwork done. We need to get it going. We have a huge problem with traffic in Galway city. We need to push on with the proje…

The Deputy is not the first public representative to talk to me about Mervue, so I am well aware of it.

On the detail the Deputy is looking for as regards the running of the bus service and the contracts that will be in place, that is information I do not have now. I will come back to the Deputy because it is something I need to know about myself. As I said, I am just into the job so I will be finding out.

I thank the Deputy for her kind words. As she is aware, the National Transport Authority published a light rail feasibility study for Galway last October for information. The study was prepared as part of a mode-specific analysis undertaken for the development of the Galway metropolitan area transport strategy, which the NTA is developing, in conjunction with Galway City Council and Galway County …

I understand the Deputy's frustration when she talks about this particular problem we have in Galway. I hope we will be able to find solutions. One of the frustrations is that we spend a great deal of time on strategies and plans when we need to spend a little bit more time on implementation so that we can actually see the improvements reaching people on the ground. The light rail feasibility stud…

The Deputy is right. I mentioned earlier that rail infrastructure in Galway is being developed with the development of Ceannt Station and the granting of planning permission for the passing loop at Oranmore. It is important that we create better connectivity into the city but also that we create a city in which you can move around in comfort. On the issue of the park-and-ride facilities that were …

As the Deputy is probably aware, this is a project I have been pursuing for a long number of years. The final report of the all-island strategic rail review was published in July last year, following extensive public consultation. The report sets out 32 recommendations to enhance and expand the rail system in Ireland and Northern Ireland up to 2050, aligning with decarbonisation commitments in bot…

There is a timeline. I said that the all-island rail review mentioned a start date of 2030. However, with the review of the national development plan, and in view of the fact that the project does not need planning permission or a rail order, it is a project that can be implemented a lot quicker than that. I hope to talk to and continue to engage with officials. In the context of the national deve…

I will take this matter on behalf of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Peter Burke. I thank Deputy McCormack for raising this important matter. The Minister, Deputy Burke, and I share his deep concern for those staff and their families in County Offaly who are impacted by the decisions of the companies. In January 2025 , Nelipak Healthcare of Clara, County Offaly, announce…

It is 59%, not 50%-----

-----which is closer to two thirds than half. I do agree with the Deputy, though. We need to have more of it, and we need to see it on the ground. Ireland continues to be seen as a location of choice for new investors as well as long-established companies that choose to further invest in substantial expansions of their operations here. That is borne out in the IDA report from last year. In 2024, …

I thank the Deputy for raising this question. It is interesting from a rural TD perspective to find out what is actually happening in the Deputy's constituency with drones and the delivery of fast food. As he said, it is new. From an aviation safety perspective, the regulation of both the recreational and commercial use of drones, or unmanned aircraft systems are they are technically called, is p…

The Deputy mentioned a question about planning and whether it is required. It is a matter for the planning authority. If somebody has a commercial enterprise in a location, they have to have planning permission for it. That is coming from the experience of working on the council for a number of years. Aviation is a highly regulated industry and there is a comprehensive legislative framework in pla…