Mr. Hugh Creegan:

If a commercially provided service is cancelled, we determine whether there is a need for a PSO service. We look at such things as the level of demand we think there is on that corridor and whether there are any other operators on it. There might be another commercial operator or a train service might be an alternative. We look at it holistically to see whether there is a gap we need to fill. If a gap is identified, we can step in and say let us provide a PSO route. Often, it is not even a new route, but a modification of the existing network to serve the areas that have been missed. The process is to look at the demand and what else is being provided in the area and then determine whether there is truly a gap that needs to be filled by a PSO service.