04/08/2026
Funding for public bus transport is failing to 1) maintain existing services, 2) improve existing services and 3) build new services. At the same time, taxpayers money is being wasted on failed transport IT systems. This has to change. Proper investment in public bus services is essential in Budget 2027. See Darren O'Rourke's public statement below in light of recent responses to Sinn Féin:
Worrying slowdown in public transport investment must be reversed - Darren O'Rourke TD
Sinn Féin TD for Meath East, Darren O'Rourke, has called on the government to ensure that investment in public bus services does not further decline and, instead, is prioritised as part of Budget 2027.
Teachta O'Rourke made the comments in light of regular and ongoing service failures in Co. Meath and following a response Sinn Féin received from the National Transport Authority (NTA) regarding delays with the 'Connecting Ireland' plan for new bus services.
He said;
"The Government underfunded the NTA, ignored clear warnings and is now presiding over a slowdown in the most important bus transport programmes in the State.
"New figures released to Sinn Féin expose a worrying slowdown in the rollout of the 'Connecting Ireland' programme for new bus services. After 65 new or enhanced services were delivered in 2023 and 45 in 2024, that fell to 36 in 2025 and just four projects so far in 2026. That is an astonishing drop off by any standard and comes on top of a significant deterioration in existing services in Meath and elsewhere.
"Meanwhile, plans for a further 87 new services are gathering dust on the drawing board, with the NTA now explicitly warning that future delivery is subject to funding availability and that the remaining programme will cost at least €20 million a year before accounting for inflation and delays.
"After Budget 2026, it was already clear that the Government had failed to provide the NTA with the funding needed to deliver existing services, never mind expanding services at the promised pace. Despite repeated warnings from officials, the Minister continued to act like new routes could be delivered while refusing to provide the resources required. Communities are now paying the price for that failure.
"The Government cannot claim to be shocked by this slowdown. The warning signs were there for months. Rather than being honest with the public about funding shortfalls, Ministers continued making promises they knew could not be met. People were told that better public transport was on the way, but many are still waiting while vital projects are delayed.
"What makes this even more frustrating is that, at the same time, taxpayers are seeing enormous sums wasted elsewhere in the transport system. The recent €50 million Irish Rail write-down shows how badly public money can be mismanaged. While communities are being told there is not enough money to connect towns and villages, millions are being written off on failed projects. That is the clearest possible example of misplaced priorities.
"This is not good enough. Public transport is not a luxury. It is essential for fairness, social inclusion and economic opportunity. That is why I am calling on the government to ensure that Connecting Ireland and existing public transport services are prioritised as part of Budget 2027."
