Ms Anne Graham:

We did meet with Bus Éireann prior to its announcement on Expressway routes. We wanted some notice from the company so that we could plan for any changes to the services. We wrote to the committee in January to assure members that if there were changes to Expressway services we would be able to respond with replacement services. It is not possible to convert a commercial service to a PSO service with the same operator. If a commercial service is withdrawn and there is a requirement for a PSO service, we then tender that service.