Funding halted for any new bus services in Laois
Funding has been halted for any new bus services or enhancements to existing routes in Laois , despite calls for more night time services.
There have been numerous requests for additional bus services and stops across the county recently, and now Councillor Vivienne Phelan has raised the lack of nighttime services between Stradbally and Portlaoise .
Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Graiguecullen /Portarlington MD, Cllr Phelan asked Laois County Council to write to the manager of Laois Offaly Local Link requesting that consideration be given to a night time bus service between the two neighbouring towns.
However, the response from TFI Local Link was, as Cllr Phelan put it, “disappointing.”
According to the manager of TFI Local Link Laois Offaly, Frances Byrne: “Town Link operated by Slieve Bloom Coaches currently serve the Portlaoise to Stradbally corridor on their 383 Portlaoise to Kilkenny licence.
“We have been looking at greater connectivity for the Stradbally area, however there has been a pause on funding from the NTA for any new or enhancements to existing services since August 2025 and this is unlikely to change for 2026 at the moment.”
Despite this, Cllr Phelan urged that “we are badly in need of improved bus services.”
She noted that a lot of people, especially young people, have contacted her about the lack of services between Stradbally and Portlaoise.
“There are times in the day where it’s not possible to get from Stradbally to Portlaoise, despite it being such a short distance,” the Fine Gael councillor explained.
With a shortage of taxis during these hours, travelling between the two towns is very difficult for those who don’t drive, she argued.
“That needs to change. We’re all paying enough carbon taxes and we’re trying to get people to be more sustainable. At the moment people have no choice and I think this is about giving people the choice, changing behaviours and encouraging people to use the bus service.”
The motion was supported by local Stradbally councillor, Paschal McEvoy, who agreed that there is a “very real need” for more buses in Stradbally.
He pointed out that given the cost of fuel and the push for people to live more sustainably and reduce the number of cars on roads, that it makes no sense “when we look for something that will make a difference, we’re told there’s no funding.”
The problem is not unique to Stradbally. Cllr Aisling Moran said it has been brought up multiple times before in Graiguecullen. On top of this, there were calls for more bus stops on the Portlaoise service by Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald back in February.
With widespread support for the motion from councillors at the Graiguecullen/Portarlington MD meeting, they all agreed to Cllr Aidan Mullins’ proposal that the council write to the three local TDs to advocate for more bus services with the NTA.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme