'No silver bullet' for traffic but Letterkenny buses are ‘a must’
Councillors have called for an urgent meeting with the National Transport Authority over the delayed provision of a public bus service for Letterkenny.
Sinn Féin Cllr Gerry McMonagle brought a motion before the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District seeking a meeting with the NTA to discuss the timelines and provision of the long-awaited service.
The town has waited years for a new town bus service, with the need for one identified in 2024.
Letterkenny’s previous privately-run town bus service, which was under licence issued by the NTA, ceased earlier this year.
Sinn Féin councillor Gerry McMonagle said the town already has a bus plan in place.
The plan identified the required routes, number of buses and timetables, but had not received the necessary funding.
“We did sit down and draw up a Letterkenny Transport Plan. We probably spent the best part of a couple of years on it,” he said.
“The plan is actually quite good. It covers the needs of a town the size of Letterkenny.
“The unfortunate thing about it is that it’s not being funded and there is selective funding for selected projects."
Cllr McMonagle said public consultation on the proposed service had been expected in 2025 before being pushed back to September 2026.
He said councillors had received no clear information from the NTA about the timeline or what type of service would be put in place.
“To go from September 2025 and be delayed into 2026, and to tell us it’s not going to happen at all, it’s not good enough.”
Cllr McMonagle said the cost of travelling by taxi was placing pressure on families living in areas such as Rahan and the Glebe.
“The cost of getting a taxi to the town for your weekly shop and back again, it’s just beyond many families,” he said.
“Our elderly people need to get to appointments and do their groceries, they can’t afford €10 or €12 for a shop.”
A council response to Cllr McMonagle's motion said the Roads and Transportation Directorate had written to the NTA outlining its desire to progress the delivery of a Letterkenny town bus service and seeking clarification on the proposed timeline.
It added that, if the motion was adopted, a further request for a meeting with the NTA would be submitted.
Fianna Fáil councillor Jimmy Kavanagh said a town bus service was something that could be delivered before major projects such as bridges and relief roads.
He said the previous private bus service had been particularly important for vulnerable residents, i.e. older people or people with disabilities.
“We can’t stop the traffic coming in, but it would help the people already living in the town and working in the town,” he said.
He said buses should operate every 30 minutes at stops around Letterkenny, adding that a town service could also support future park-and-ride facilities.
“We should be looking for some sort of temporary arrangement by Local Link to fill the gap temporarily,” he said.
“This is not going to solve our traffic problems, but it can make a significant contribution.
“I can’t see how we are letting them away with it. We should be banging on doors to get the service in place.”
The latest debate follows previous attempts to expand Letterkenny’s town bus service.
A letter by the Department of Community Development, Charities and Rural Transport issued to the council on 30 April 2026 in response to a request for an interim Letterkenny Town Bus Service also raised questions over the lack of a clear timeline.
The letter said 11 new town services were being delivered or developed across the country, including services in Athlone, Balbriggan, Carlow, Clonmel, Drogheda, Dundalk, Kilkenny, Navan, Portlaoise, Sligo and Mullingar.
Letterkenny was not included in that list.
The Department said the NTA had to carefully assess all submissions for new routes and changes to existing services, adding that not every proposal could be progressed.
No specific date was given for the introduction or expansion of a town bus service in Letterkenny.
Cllr McMonagle said there was no one quick fix for Letterkenny’s traffic problems, but argued that a public bus service was an essential element.
“There is no silver bullet to sort the traffic congestion that has been growing in Letterkenny for the last 20 years,” he said.
“But a public bus service is a must and there is no reason why Letterkenny, a regional growth centre, is missing out on this all the time.”
The latest motion follows previous calls for ministerial intervention on Letterkenny’s traffic problems.
Minister Darragh O’Brien has received at least four invitations to visit Donegal , including two from Letterkenny-Milford councillors in November and July , but has not committed to a meeting.
Cllr McMonagle has this week asked for the invitation to be issued again so that councillors can hear an explanation on how funding decisions are being made.
Cllr McMonagle welcomed the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund support for Windyhall but questioned when funding or timelines would be made available for the town bus service and relief roads.
“We need to get it straight from the horse's mouth: why is it that we are getting funding for just one project and not three or four,” he said.
A response from the council said: "A letter was issued to the Minister of Transport Darragh O’Brien, TD on 19th November 2025 requesting the Minister visit Letterkenny to discuss the ongoing traffic concerns.
"A response was received from the Minister's Office advising that due to the Minister's very busy schedule a visit to Letterkenny at that time was not possible.
"A further letter will be issued to the Minister requesting again that he visit Letterkenny to discuss the ongoing traffic concerns."
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