THE exclusion of Annacotty Business Park from the current BusConnects plan “beggars belief”, according to a local Limerick businessman.
Not only that, some companies in the park, without adequate public transport, have been forced to put a full driving licence over work qualifications when recruiting new employees.
Andrew Clohessy is CEO of Data Storage and Management, a records management company which has been operating for the past 27 years.
He told the Limerick Post that it “beggars belief” the business park isn’t included in the transport plan considering “there are a number of companies working there”.
The Annacotty Business Park serves as a major employer in the area, attracting over 3,500 workers on a daily basis.
But the exclusion from the BusConnects plan is “just one element”, says Mr Clohessy.
“We also have to make sure that there are multiple ways for people to get in and out of work. We have a bike to work scheme, but the reality is there’s no cycle lane that keeps cyclists safe all the up to the park,” he says.
Despite his company’s efforts, the lack of an appropriate bus route remains a significant challenge, he says, particularly when trying to attract new talent.
Mr Clohessy says that one of the first questions he asks prospective new employees is whether they have a full driving licence, not what their work qualifications are.
His worries have also been echoed by Limerick Chamber CEO Michelle Gallagher, who expressed concern for both employees and businesses if initial rollout of the BusConnects plan is delayed past 2025.
It has already been reported that the plan will not be fully complete until 2027.
“The region has reached almost 279,000 people in employment, a regional record, yet, despite this continued growth, there is continued failure to adequately address the infrastructure gap within an appropriate time frame,” the Limerick Chamber CEO said.
“Efficient, reliable, and accessible public transport is not a luxury – it is a necessity for advancing enterprise and access to work.”
Mr Gallagher said that “Annacotty Business Park is not peripheral – it is central to Limerick’s commercial ecosystem”.
“Its exclusion from the BusConnects plan risks undermining the very objective of the programme, which is to enhance access and mobility for all.
“We have undertaken numerous surveys with employees of the park and our findings outline huge support for a bus route with 97 per cent of respondents supporting increased public transport to their place of work.”
Limerick Chamber has called on the National Transport Authority to urgently prioritise delivery in Limerick, with Ms Gallagher saying that “we need swift, decisive action to ensure that BusConnects delivers for all areas of the city – not just a select few. Delays and oversights will cost us – in lost productivity, talent retention challenges, and diminished regional competitiveness.”
