Ms Anne Graham:

BusConnects Dublin was about not just the network but also the infrastructure to support the efficient operation of services, trying to reduce journey times and making the services more reliable. On where we are with regard to that part of the project, we are rolling out the network but at the same time we have lodged our planning applications for all 12 of the corridors. They are going through the planning process. We hope that we will receive a positive response on a number of those this year in order that we can start construction on at least two of the corridors this time next year. That is our ambition. We are waiting to see whether we can get those planning permissions and then, on a rolling basis, deliver that infrastructure across the next decade, when we will build it all out. In the meantime, any improvements that we can make on bus priority, even that which is not on those corridors with regard to bus priority through signals, we will work with the local authorities to deliver that.

Regarding the city centre plan, the bus corridors are until one gets into the city centre. The work we are doing with Dublin City Council on the city centre plan is looking at how we can improve the movement of buses through the city centre. That plan was published for consultation by Dublin City Council. It will have received a number of submissions and it hopes to complete that either later this year or early next year. There will be a move to implement some of the recommendations there, particularly on the quays, which will assist with bus movements as well.