Mr. Stephen Kent:

To go back to the Cathaoirleach’s first question, to look at the costs associated with the Sixmilebridge project in itself is to look through a singular lens. That project was the amalgamation of three Connecting Ireland routes and an extension into the airport. The Cathaoirleach knows Shannon and all the rest. There was a huge amount of PSO opportunity being planned by the NTA on one side. When that was being planned, there was the opportunity, at the same time that the other scheme was being expanded, to see whether all of the capacity that was being put into the market could be availed of.

Similarly, with regard to the bus issue at Parteen, I do not disagree with the Cathaoirleach. If the bus is going out to Parteen as a school bus run or as a public service run, the question is whether there is an opportunity for integration, which is what the Cathaoirleach is asking. There are greater opportunities for integration. Without integration, the target of 100,000 school transport places may not be delivered. It may not be delivered with capacity in the market unless we are looking at integration. I know the Department of education and the NTA believe that. To go back to the Cathaoirleach’s point, it requires a couple of agencies to come together to share information. Costs might be one lens in the context of school transport, but all the benefits that are being delivered must be looked at. I refer to the PSO end as well when that comes back to you. That is the other part of it. I am for it because we want to move more people on buses. That is why we are here and exist. The Cathaoirleach will have no truck with me on that. If we can do it, we will always make sure that we participate in those discussions for integration.