Bus Éireann fined €735k for late buses in Cork City alone 

Update to PAC shows the €2.6m penalties on the Cork service in 2024 was just over half of the €4.98m total deductions outside Dublin that year

The Department of Transport update said performance payment deductions had been capped in 2024 'to avoid putting Bus Éireann into a loss-making situation in relation to contracted services'. Picture: Larry Cummins

Bus Éireann was penalised more than €735,000 for poor punctuality within Cork City, according to new figures.

It faced almost €2.6m in deductions under its Public Service Obligation contract with the National Transport Authority in 2024 due to poor timekeeping and services that were cancelled entirely. 

In an update to the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Department of Transport said performance payment deductions had been capped in 2024 “to avoid putting Bus Éireann into a loss-making situation in relation to contracted services”.

When simplified, the punctuality fines for Cork City services would be €736,000, it said.

Fine 'reflects cost savings' 

Regarding cancelled services, the department said that the deduction “reflects cost savings made by Bus Éireann in not operating services”.

“Payment deductions made for non-operation of contracted services in Cork City were €1.836m in 2024,” it said.

In its statement to the PAC, the department said that the National Transport Authority (NTA) “continuously monitors key performance indicators, including punctuality, reliability, demand, and passenger feedback” in order to “agree necessary interventions aimed at improving performance”.

The €2.6m in penalties to the Cork service was just over 50% of the €4.98m total deductions outside Dublin in 2024, figures first revealed at the PAC in December showed.

Separately, both Iarnród Éireann and Dublin Bus were also penalised €3.4m and €4.7m respectively.

Bus Éireann had not replied to a request for comment regarding the released figures at the time of publication.

Similar deductions were also noted for the company’s regional services in previous years.

In 2023, the operator paid fines to the NTA of €1.56m across those services, with just over €1m of that related to punctuality.

In 2022, the company was hit with a larger bill of more than €2m.

Public transport security force

Separately, the Department of Transport discussed plans to implement a new public transport security force, maintaining that antisocial behaviour on such routes “remains a serious issue”.

It said it hoped to have the planned new transport security force in place from 2027 onwards.

“The Department of Transport continues to work closely with industry stakeholders to identify measures to improve passenger safety across the public transport network,” its briefing note to the PAC said.

It emerged last week that the new security force, which has been mooted for several years, will have the powers to both arrest and pursue suspects.

Transport minister Darragh O’Brien told the transport committee that the force will not seek to emulate An Garda Síochána, but will instead be modelled more closely on the existing airport police service.