Mr. Ray Hernan:

I will move on to my final comment but I felt I needed to put it in context. I take on board what the Chairman says.

In summary, I would re-emphasise to the committee that Bus Éireann remains committed to providing a network of inter-regional services connecting communities to the main population centres, and this also applies to our Expressway commercial services. Having an efficient and flexible organisation will enable Bus Éireann to provide more services, not less, for the same level of subvention. In doing so, we will provide a service that represents value for money for our customers and taxpayers. It will be appreciated by the members here today that Bus Éireann does not receive any public subsidy for providing these inter-regional and inter-city services; it can no longer carry its financial losses. We have difficult decisions to make in 2017 but I believe if we make those decisions in the current year, it will ensure that Bus Éireann survives for another 30 years and beyond.

I want to assure the committee that despite potential changes to some of our Expressway network, we will work closely with the NTA to ensure that connectivity is maintained. I also want to assure the public that we will do everything to ensure no passenger is discommoded.

Bus Éireann is steadfastly committed to providing a quality, efficient, safe and sustainable public transport service that meets and exceeds the expectation of all communities outside Dublin. While we have arrived at a critical juncture in our finances, I firmly believe that the solution to our challenges lies within the control of the company. I am confident that Bus Éireann will continue to play a central role in public transport, will continue to provide more services and will remain a key part of the fabric of rural Ireland, its regional cities and all the towns and villages in between.