Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

All those services were in place when the old road structure was there. They were the national primary routes. When the motorway was built, they were not changed. We opened the services to private contractors but they are taking the cream. They are not under obligation to go to the small villages and towns off the motorway that are in need of services. We need to change the criteria fast and if we do not, we will lose the services. In fairness, Bus Éireann is still giving a service on many routes but it will lose €9 million this year. That cannot continue.

Can private operators take this cream and go away? Should there not be an obligation on them to provide some kind of service to rural areas? If there is not, the public service obligation should be given to Bus Éireann or whatever private operator can provide the existing services. They need subsistence to keep the services in place and they are not viable on their own.