Southside councillors call for improvements to bus services

South Dublin County Council members have called on Dublin Bus to improve services across the Southside.

At a committee meeting of Lucan, Palmerstown and North Clondalkin councillors this week on South Dublin County Council, both government and opposition councillors alike raised the issue of bus services being severely lacking in the area.

Independent councillor Liona O’Toole said there is an “urgent need” for bus services to be improved in Lucan.

“My patience has passed; I want to push this.”

The Lucan councillor expressed frustration that National Transport Authority members will only meet with members of Oireachtas committees, but not local councillors.

“To me, that’s bad form; it gives the impression that we are of lesser standing even though we are on the ground every day.”

O’Toole said, “we deal with feedback from the public every day; people left stranded, buses missing from apps, ghost buses, routes full by the time they get halfway through Lucan, I can go on and on.”

O’Toole noted that Lucan is surrounded by two of the largest strategic areas in the country, but public transport services have not kept up with demand.

“For a town of the size of Lucan, the services simply aren’t adequate,” she said.

The independent councillor said that the NTA needs to “come to the table” and “to listen directly to the lived experiences of Lucan residents.”

Councillor O’Toole relayed her experiences with Dublin Bus, saying that she attempted to use Dublin Bus to travel into the city for a concert at the Aviva and was waiting for an hour for a bus to arrive.

“I tried to get there during the marathon last year, and three buses dropped off the timetable. The same thing happened when I was going to a concert at the Aviva. I was there for the best part of an hour. I didn’t give up, I pushed with the journey on the way in just to experience how frustrating it is.”

O’Toole noted, “I know we’re not the area outside the city centre that suffers big time; it’s happened so many times that Dublin Bus needs to look at the situation.”

The Lucan councillor said that Adamstown’s potential is not being met because of Dublin Bus, and said “the same thing can’t happen to Clonburris.”

Fine Gael councillor Caroline Brady seconded O’Toole’s motion, saying the loss of the 25 bus in Doddsborough has been a major blow to local residents and is causing larger knock-on effects in the Lucan area.

Brady said that train services in the Adamstown area are up to standard, but the bus services are not; she noted that the bus services do not link up with the train services, which defeats the purpose of having a joint-up public transport system.

“You arrive at Adamstown station with half an hour to wait; you get off the train at Adamstown, and you’re waiting half an hour to get a bus. We could do with some joining up of services.”

Independent councillor Madeleine Johansson said, “we use these services so we understand the issues.”

“All these things (bus removals) have made it more difficult for people in Lucan to use the bus, and that’s the last thing we want to do.”

South Dublin County Council management informed the meeting that a meeting would be sought with the NTA, with the meeting looking to take place early in 2026.

Independent councillor Helen Farrell said that capacity issues on Dublin Bus are a major issue, especially during the likes of concerts or sporting events.

The Lucan councillor said “we all know that the strategic development zones need bus services that can be relied on,” and that capacity needs to be improved.

Farrell said that there have been numerous reports of buses being at capacity by the time they leave Lucan.

“There are a lot of reports from people saying that some buses are passing even when their hands are out. I am urging constituents to log these incidents as much as they can.”

The independent councillor said that the NTA and Dublin Bus need to be made aware of the issues with buses in the Lucan area.

Speaking this week, People Before Profit councillor Darragh Adelaide said “we need a full network of light rail, bus and rail infrastructure that links every part of our capital city, not just a few routes serving a fraction of its people.”

“We need to develop safe, high-quality active travel infrastructure alongside public transport. The current pace of development is far too slow. Ireland should be learning from cities across Europe that are transforming how people move; quickly, safely, and sustainably.”

The Clondalkin councillor said “cities across the world are showing what ambition looks like. Shenzhen, in southern China, has built one of the world’s largest metro systems in just two decades, more than 720 kilometres of track and 20 lines expanding faster than any city transport project in human history.”

Closer to home, the PBP councillor added, “Europe too is seeing huge projects such as France’s Grand Paris Express, which will add 200km of new track and 68 new stations by 2030, and Rail Baltica, connecting the Baltic states with high-speed, electrified rail. These projects prove what can be achieved with public investment, planning and political will.”

“In a wealthy country like Ireland, with resources such as the Future Ireland Fund and other infrastructure investment vehicles, there is no excuse for delay or half-measures,” Adelaide said.