Transport authority doesn't have 'sufficient funding' to expand public transport services

Data also shows that just €156m was spent on BusConnects last year, down from €234m in 2024, and €199m in 2025

Figures provided by the NTA also show that expenditure on BusConnects nationwide dropped by €80m to €156.1m in 2025. File picture: Larry Cummins

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has conceded that it "does not currently have sufficient funding” to provide new public transport services this year, also warning that BusConnects projects in Cork, Dublin, and Waterford in 2027 are subject to funding availability.

Figures provided by the NTA also show that expenditure on BusConnects nationwide dropped by €80m to €156.1m in 2025. Jeremy Ryan, director of public transport at the NTA, insisted it is “continuing to invest in capacity, punctuality and reliability improvements during 2026 in the face of rising congestion and passenger demand”.