Rural bus rollout slows to just four new routes in first six months of this year

An average of 24 new routes were introduced every six months between 2023 and 2025 — but just four were rolled out from January to June this year

National Transport Authority figures show that 65 new routes were introduced in 2023; 45 were rolled out in 2024, and 36 were introduced in 2025. Picture: TFI

The Government has been accused of leaving rural Ireland behind amid a major slowdown in the introduction of new local bus routes.

Figures from the National Transport Authority (NTA) show that, over the first six months of this year, just four new or enhanced local bus routes have been introduced under the Connecting Ireland plan.

This compares to 36 routes introduced in 2025, 45 rolled out in 2024, and 65 introduced in 2023.

Connecting Ireland is the Government’s plan to introduce more rural transport services, such as Local Link buses, with it seeking to add high-frequency bus routes and improve connectivity throughout the country.

The most recent cost estimate to implement the plan every year is €20m. However, the NTA has warned this figure will need to be adjusted to take account of inflation and delays to Connecting Ireland’s rollout.

According to the NTA, a further 87 new or enhanced services have been identified to be rolled out. However, this depends on confirmation of funding availability for the transport agency in 2027.

The data was provided to Sinn Féin’s transport spokesperson Pa Daly via parliamentary question, with the Kerry TD saying it was a “worrying slowdown” in the rollout of Connecting Ireland.

“This should come as no surprise. During Budget 2026 it was already clear that the Government had failed to provide the NTA with the funding needed to continue expanding services at the promised pace,” Mr Daly said.

According to the Department of Transport, €31m was set aside for rural transport service provision in Budget 2026. This is a 38% increase compared to Budget 2025, a department spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added the focus for 2025 has been on “stabilising” the Public Service Obligation (PSO) services to ensure existing services can “operate reliably and sustainably”.

The PSO refers to funding provided by the Government to shore up routes that might not be commercially successful but are nonetheless vital, often for rural passengers.

Mr Daly said the warning signs ahead of the slowdown were there for “months”.

“What makes this even more frustrating is that, at the same time, taxpayers are seeing enormous sums wasted elsewhere in the transport system,” he said.

He particularly criticised the €50m spent on an Irish Rail traffic management programme, which has since been written off.

• Tadgh McNally, Political Reporter