Build housing above bus depots in Dublin, says Eamon Ryan

Minister Ryan was speaking at his final Oireachtas transport committee meeting in advance of the general election being called.

Dublin Bus has a number of depots in operation in and around the city, including Ringsend, Donnybrook, Clontarf, Phibsboro and Summerhill.

Previously, Minister Ryan has pitched that bus depots should be moved out of the city with the fleet moving to fully electric.

He now believes there's no reason not to build above the depots dotted around central Dublin areas.

"Could we not build over the bus station? If it's going to be an electric bus, you don't have the fumes, you don't have the same noise," he said.

"There's really good continental examples. Ringsend [depot], that's really valuable land beside the Grand Canal dock. We should be building above the bus depot."

Minister Ryan said areas such as Ballsbridge and Donnybrook had become distributor roads, and the rollout of BusConnects would play a major role in ending car dominance on our roads.

Twelve new routes have been planned as part of the programme, with nine approved. However, some of the routes have been subject to judicial review.

"I think one of the things that will benefit us is BusConnects," Minister Ryan told the transport committee.

"It will give an opportunity to calm the whole of [Ballsbridge] village down and change it from being a car distributor route into the city centre into a high-quality public transport, cycling and walking route.

"There is no reason we should not complete BusConnects in the next four years and really transform the city.

"We have allowed our urban areas to become car parks and car transport systems... it just does not work," he added.