Limerick 19 May 2026: Limerick Chamber has written to the Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, calling for an urgent funding commitment and a clear delivery pathway for the rollout of Limerick BusConnects. With the proposed rollout now pushed to 2028. This represents a four-year set back and extends the timeline to nearly nine years since the infrastructure was first referenced in the transport plan for the region (LSMATS). The failure to allocate necessary funding threatens to severely impact economic development, competitiveness and liveability.
For Limerick, the delay of the BusConnects to 2028 is a critical failure of national regional development policy. The Limerick region is in critical phase of growth, with a rising population, significant multi-national investment, major regeneration ambitions, and a clear need for compact, transport-oriented development. The BusConnects project is essential infrastructure required to support this development. Without public transport to support densification and Transit-Oriented Development, this growth is unsustainable.
Pushing the rollout to 2028 risks undermining the core objectives set out in Project Ireland 2040, the National Planning Framework and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy. Modal shifts, worsen congestion, increase car dependency, lengthen commute times and reduce access to employment, education, healthcare, retail, tourism and cultural amenities.
Limerick possesses the demographic intensity, economic mandate, and infrastructure readiness to be prioritised immediately. The National Transport Authority (NTA) is deploying BusConnects based on funding availability from the Department of Transport. The current national rollout status reveals a distinct regional imbalance. The 2025 Progress Report for Dublin states that the Dublin network design has reached stage 7 of 11. The results are profound. There has been a 30% increase in passenger boardings and a 12% improvement in punctuality. Cork is approaching launch Yet, Limerick’s rollout has been repeatedly postponed from 2025, to 2027 and now currently 2028.
The NTA has explicitly stated that this pace is dictated by Department of Transport funding allocations. Yet, Limerick has been consistently disadvantaged. Despite having a finalised and consulted-upon network design in 2023, it has been deprioritised and stalled behind other cities.
Limerick Chamber said this timeline is unacceptable at a time when Government is seeking to accelerate infrastructure delivery and send positive signals to business and investors.
Donnacha Hurley, CEO of Limerick Chamber, said:
Limerick Chamber is extremely disappointed at the continued delay to Limerick BusConnects. This is a major infrastructure delivery failure that risks undermining Limerick’s economic development, competitiveness and quality of life.
Limerick is growing. Businesses are investing. Our population is increasing. To support the region’s ambitious growth and foster continued development, we need immediate government action. The city and region are being asked to deliver compact growth, regeneration, climate action and balanced regional development. Our business leaders and communities are stepping up to the plate. Yet the public transport infrastructure required to make that possible is being pushed further down the line.
A 2028 rollout represents a four-year delay and an almost nine-year timeline since BusConnects was first raised for Limerick. That is simply not good enough. It sends the wrong message to the business community, to investors, to workers and to communities who need reliable, frequent and accessible public transport now.
Without the necessary funding, Limerick risks continued car dependency, worsening congestion, longer commute times and reduced access to opportunity. That will damage both economic development and liveability. Government cannot talk about balanced regional development and increase infrastructure provision while allowing key enabling infrastructure in regional cities to drift.
We are calling on Government, Minister O’Brien and the Department of Transport to provide an immediate and clear funding commitment for Limerick BusConnects, along with a credible delivery pathway.
The Chamber also warned that a 2028 delivery date would come after the updated Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy and the Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area Spatial Plan, meaning both frameworks would be unable to fully leverage Limerick BusConnects to deliver national planning objectives.
Providing immediate funding for Limerick BusConnects will improve labour market access and mobility for local communities, strengthen connectivity between key employment zones and residential areas, support business growth, reduce congestion to make Limerick a highly attractive location for enterprise and sustainable investment.
Limerick Chamber strongly encourages the Department of Transport to address this infrastructure gap immediately. By establishing a clear delivery timeline and funding commitment, the government can provide the certainty needed to help Limerick thrive as a compact, connected, and sustainable city.
The Chamber has requested a meeting with Minister O’Brien and his officials to discuss the urgent need for funding and delivery certainty.
