Ms Anne Graham:

Regarding BusConnects Cork, we launched the new network project yesterday. As the Senator knows, we need to move forward, not just on the network, but on bus priority corridors in Cork and the other regional cities. That will be a much more challenging project. Those designs are under way and will take into account the final bus network that we agree following the public consultation. We will commence public consultation on those plans towards the middle of next year. It will be quarter 2 or 3.

Regarding the livery, it was our ambition to provide a standardised livery on a national basis to make it clear what the Government was investing in with regard to public transport. There would be one livery across all public transport. It is not just the cities where we are looking to standardise liveries, but across all services. This is meant to provide an identity of our national public transport that is funded by the State. We felt that it was appropriate to put in place green as a national colour and then yellow, which helps with accessibility at the front, in that it makes buses more visible to those with a visual impairment. That is where the livery came from.

Regarding timelines, we will be consulting on bus lanes. Alongside cycling facilities, they are a crucial part of the BusConnects programme. We will need to consider the issue of delivery with local authorities. The NTA is making the planning application for BusConnects Dublin's infrastructure, but no decisions have been made yet as to who will apply for planning permission for the regional cities' BusConnects bus corridors.