Demand for Portlaoise bus service expansion and a better deal for Laois commuters

There is no money for Laois-specific in a huge deficit-clearing spend on transport, according to a Laois TD insists that there must be some value to commuters in the €208 m the Government needs to cover a 2025 overrun.

Dep Willie Aird called for money to expand the Portlaoise bus service and investment in services to help road and rail work commuters from Laois to Dublin and other locations.

The Fine Gael TD expressed his annoyance in the Dáil to Minister of State Jerry Buttimer, who said a substantive supplementary for current expenditure €208.9 million will be allocated to public transport services to address a shortfall in land transport services.

Dep Aird claimed this would not be of direct benefit to Laois constituents.

"I asked myself what value for money we will get from €208 million. I will have to vote on this eventually in the Dáil. We in Laois got no money at all for the roads or anything like that. I said if I got some portion of that €208 million, it could be very good," he said.

The TD uses the train to get to the Dáil. He said many do not have this choice and must use their cars.

"Those people commuting are entitled to some form of a standard of living, not to be up and on the road at 5 am, coming home at 9 pm, maybe 8 pm, having to look after children. It is not fair to them. The Department is looking for €208 million. Show us what it can do to improve the quality of life for those people," he said.

Dep Aird said Portlaoise has good train services in the morning and evening, provided people can get to work by rail which many of his constituents cannot.

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The TD also said expansion of the Portlaoise bus, which is very busy.

"The problem now is it does not go to a quarter of enough of places (stops in Portlaoise)," he said.

Dep Aird explained that the town's population has nearly doubled something has to be put in so people can move from A to B.

"It takes an hour to cross the town. From that point of view, if the Department is looking for more money, show us the results at the end of the day," he said.

He also wanted to know why the Portlaoise Northern Orbital Route was not included in the National Development Plan funding given the town's large population.

The Laois TD made the case to Jerry Buttimer the Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and at the Department of Transport at the Select Committee on Transport debate on Wednesday, December 3.