The Last Word with Matt Cooper Nightmare Commutes: Dublin
Nov 21, 2025
Conor Faughnan, a transport commentator, pushes for high-capacity public transport like metro and heavy rail to tackle Dublin's commuting woes. Janet Horner, a Green Party councillor, sheds light on local transport strategies including bus priority and cycling initiatives. Mary Rose Burke, CEO of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, discusses the staggering economic costs of congestion and the urgent need for public transport investment, arguing for solutions like Metro and BusConnects to improve the daily commute.
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Cost Of Chronic Underinvestment
- Dublin's congestion costs about €350 million a year now and could hit €2 billion by 2033 from lost productivity.
- Mary Rose Burke says decades of underinvestment in public transport, cycling and density created the current crisis.
Long-Term Strategy Exists, Delivery Lags
- The Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022–2042 sets out large-scale rail and metro projects as the long-term fix.
- Mary Rose Burke argues political courage and faster delivery are essential to realise those benefits.
Accelerate Bus And Luas Projects Now
- Prioritise delivering BusConnects, Luas Finglas and other corridors to move people off cars now.
- Janet Horner urges accelerating public transport while freeing road space within the city.