Minister gathers stakeholders to seek solutions to congestion in capital
-
From: Department of Transport
- Published on: 18 March 2026
- Last updated on: 18 March 2026
The Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien TD, today convened a high-level roundtable, bringing together transport agencies, operators and local authorities to discuss the impact of congestion in the Greater Dublin Area, and consider potential solutions available.
While significant investment in public transport, active travel and our roads network is underway in the Greater Dublin Area, congestion is an ongoing challenge. The purpose of the forum is to enhance co-ordination among key stakeholders, with a clear focus on developing pragmatic and implementable solutions to alleviate immediate pressures on the system, particularly on the M50.
The forum builds on initiatives recently taken at national level, through the recent publication of the Moving Together Strategy, a strategic framework to improve the efficiency of the transport system, and Sustainable Mobility Policy Action Plan, which sets out the plan to increase active travel, shared mobility and public transport, on 4 March 2026. Together, these set out an array of measures to be delivered over the next five years to improve the transport system and alleviate congestion in the medium to long term.
“Congestion in Dublin and neighbouring counties is impacting economic productivity, climate action, public transport reliability and punctuality, as well as quality of life. It is a complex challenge with no perfect or easy solution, but by working together we can identify targeted, innovative and cost-effective ways to lifting some of the current pressure off the system in the short and medium term, whilst also delivering major public transport projects such as MetroLink, Luas Finglas, the DART + programme and BusConnects.”
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien
Stakeholders in attendance at the forum include the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Iarnród Éireann, CIÉ, Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Go Ahead Ireland, An Garda Síochána, Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Fingal County Council, and South Dublin County Council.
At the meeting, the Minister called for pragmatic and impactful proposals from those present – focusing on short to medium term measures. These will contribute to the development of a prioritised plan of action focusing initially on the GDA where the issue of congestion is most acute but with a view to testing actions which can be replicated elsewhere. A new Moving Together Implementation Steering Group is now established to oversee the wider strategy. The Minister has tasked this Group to consider the proposals received with a view to making recommendations to the Minister over the Summer.