Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), John Brady has slammed Minister for Transport Daragh O’Brien and the National Transport Authority (NTA) following confirmation that there is still no funding available for the long proposed 199 Bray to Glendalough bus service, and there is absolutely no indication of when this vital route will go live.
The confirmation came in response to a parliamentary question submitted by Deputy Brady, but only after a wait of almost three months for a reply from the NTA.
The reply confirmed that while the procurement process for the route was completed in 2025, additional funding is required in order to operate the service and negotiations are still ongoing between the Department of Transport and the NTA. The current position is that there is no funding available for the introduction of new bus routes in 2026, and therefore a date for commencement of the 199 service cannot be provided.
Deputy Brady said:
“This service was first announced in October of 2024, and since then, we’ve seen delay after delay.
“The situation surrounding the 199 route sums up many of the serious problems within the NTA.
“The fact that a route was taken through procurement without the necessary funding being secured in advance highlights a failure to properly plan and deliver public transport projects.
“Residents, commuters and public transport users across Wicklow have been seeking clarity on this service for well over a year, yet neither local communities nor their public representatives have been given clear answers on when, or indeed if, it will commence.
“That points to a wider failure of communication and accountability within the NTA.
“Unfortunately, the Minister for Transport has also been found wanting on this and a range of other transport issues.
“For an organisation that receives hundreds of millions of euro in taxpayers’ funding each year, there remains a worrying inability of the NTA to effectively plan, fund and deliver projects, whether they are major national initiatives or essential local services such as the 199 route.
“It’s simply not good enough.
“People across Glendalough, Laragh, Annamoe, Roundwood have waited long enough for a regular and reliable public transport option. This route would provide a vital public transport link for local residents, workers, students and visitors.
“After nearly three months of waiting for a reply from the NTA in this instance, local communities would have rightly expected some indication of progress.
“Instead, we have been told that the position remains the same and there is still no funding available and target date for launch.
“The update is that there is no update – this is completely unacceptable.
“What makes this even more frustrating is the chronic wastage of public money that Minister for Transport Daragh O’Brien is currently overseeing across his Department.
“98 brand new electric buses are currently in storage because the necessary charging infrastructure has not been put in place, with almost €7 million spent over the last four years storing and servicing electric buses that cannot enter service.
“€50 million written off on a failing Irish Rail IT project.
“On the one hand, communities are being told there is no funding available for vital new routes, while on the other, money is squandered on a massive scale.
“The Minister and the NTA need to explain how they can justify failing to fund essential new bus services.
“Local communities deserve better.
“I will continue to press the Minister and the NTA on this issue.
“The demand is there, the benefits are obvious and there is no reason why the people of Wicklow should continue to be left waiting for a vital service.”
ENDS