Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegation from Bus Éireann. I wish to raise questions on the Expressway routes. County Kerry, a peripheral county in the south-west corner of the country is reliant on tourism. Bus Éireann is a core service and provides access to the county. The patients in County Kerry are transferred to the regional hospitals in Limerick and Cork. There is a great deal of concern and people are worried about the routes from Killarney, Tralee, Limerick and Cork. Due to our geographic location, I request that Bus Éireann would maintain the existing Expressway routes.

To what extent is Bus Éireann operating in the tourism sector? In particular, I believe there is a role for promoting the country internationally and in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland. Should Bus Éireann be widening its scope and branching out to offset against losses on internal routes? Is there a role for Bus Éireann to work with hotels to the benefit of both? What is the percentage of passengers who are eligible for free travel?

We have been told by CTTC that it provides 85% of the school transport service. It appears that Bus Éireann administers the school transport scheme. Would it be a saving if the private operaters were the sole providers of school transport?