Report Paul Murphy
Sinn Fein Cllr Helen Meyer asked Meath County Council officials to supply in tabular form the annual spend from the €500,000 provided to the council for bus stop enhancement programme from 2020 to 2025 and indicate the number of bus stops that benefited each year.
Officials replied that the programme was an initiative of the National Transport Authority for the period 2025-2029. Bus stop construction and improvement works were being carried out in 32 separate bus stop locations. Design works also commenced during the year on a further 40 locations across Meath. They said that as the bus stop programme only started in 2025 there was no specific information in relation to the bus stops in previous years as the works to bus stops were included in other works at the location.
Bus Shelter at Dublin Airport, there 40 planned for county Meath but this year with work commenced Cllr Meyer asked for the list.
Councillors were also told that the Nta in conjunction with other stakeholders identify the stops and the schemes that they want to prioritise and the local authority delivers the projects on the ground. Under council standing orders councillors are not allowed debate on notices of questions.
Cathaoirleach Cllr Wayne Harding asked if Cllr Meyer was satisfied with the response and she replied that she wanted clarification. She said that the council had indicated work had commenced on 40 locations and she asked if she could get a copy of those. Director of Services Martin Murray also replied to Cllr Meyer’s query about the scheme starting in 2025. He said that in 2025 requests for bus stop enhancements had come in not only from Meath but right across the country. What happened before 2025 was that the council had an allocation from the Active Travel. The money for bus stops wasn’t ring fenced. Between 2025 and 2026 an allocation was ring fenced, he said.
