Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee today. My first question is directed to Mr. Franks. I note from his opening statement that one of his priorities is the introduction of an hourly Enterprise service between Dublin and Belfast in conjunction with Translink. Will he give me an indication of a timeline for the introduction of this service?

My second question is directed to Ms Graham. Will she give me an indication as to when the three-year strategy for the development of rural transport will be published? In her opening statement, she stated that Bus Éireann services between rural towns are still in the process of being restructured on a county-by-county basis.

Will Louth be examined with a view to restructuring? Will the witnesses provide an outline on the areas or processes examined when a county is being restructured?

My last question is to Mr. Coyne of Dublin Bus. I agree that a public transport network must be a better option than owning a car. For this to be a reality, we need a reliable service and competitive pricing. Dublin Bus has stated this can only be delivered with a multi-model mobility platform rather than a single means of public transport. It has been mentioned that this type of system was successfully implemented in Hanover, Germany, but will the witness explain how the system works and the plans to implement that type of system here?