3 April 2026
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Cork Business Association Meets Minister Darragh O’Brien to Advance Transport Priorities for Cork City
Cork Business Association (CBA) held a constructive and positive meeting yesterday with Minister for Transport, Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien, to discuss the advancement of critical transport priorities for Cork.
The engagement focused on both immediate actions and long-term infrastructure planning required to support Cork’s continued growth. A number of welcome short-term implementation measures were discussed, including the imminent extension of National Transport Authority (NTA) statutory planning powers to Cork, a planned review of the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS) in 2026, and progress on the Cork Luas Emerging Preferred Route.
The meeting also highlighted key developments in rail infrastructure, including the delivery of new stations at Dunkettle and Blackpool/Kilbarry as part of the Cork Area Commuter Rail project.
CBA emphasised the urgent need to address underperforming city bus services and to accelerate the delivery of BusConnects Cork. The Association also stressed the importance of progressing essential enabling infrastructure, including:
- Park & Ride facilities at key locations such as Dunkettle and Ballincollig
- The Cork Northern Distributor Road to unlock critical housing capacity
- Improved connectivity to Cork Airport
- Improved connectivity via Great Island Road to support Docklands development
- Future rail links to Cork Airport, Carrigaline, and Ringaskiddy
- A stronger on-the-ground presence from agencies including the NTA, TII, and LDA
With over 149,500 daily car commuters and ongoing population growth, transport capacity is now a critical issue for Cork’s future economic development and livability.
CBA reiterated its commitment to advocating for key priorities, including statutory backing for CMATS, the immediate delivery of Park & Ride infrastructure, acceleration of BusConnects Cork, and the establishment of a dedicated transport delivery unit co-located at City Hall.
Cork Business Association also expressed its appreciation to Minister Darragh O’Brien, Seamus McGrath TD, Jerry Buttimer TD, and Pádraig O’Sullivan TD for their engagement and commitment. Thanks were also extended to Kevin Burke of the DBFL Transport team for his valuable input and advice during the meeting.
Transport investment remains essential to supporting Cork city centre, improving accessibility, and strengthening Cork’s competitiveness as a place to live, work, and do business.
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