Mr. Stephen Kent:

I thank the Cathaoirleach, Deputies and Senators for inviting us here today. I am joined by Miriam Flynn, our chief schools officer, and Allen Parker, who is our chief customer officer.

As I provided a broad update on the performance of the company at this committee two weeks ago, I will focus my opening remarks today exclusively on our rural services. Since our origins as the Irish Omnibus Company in 1926, Bus Éireann has provided connectivity to rural communities throughout Ireland. That same commitment drives us today. Bus Éireann is expecting to deliver over 115 million passenger journeys this year, expanding on our record-breaking achievement in 2024.

We operate all our public service obligation, PSO, routes in rural Ireland under contract to the NTA. For over 57 years, we have also operated the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department of Education.

We also support the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan as part of the Government's Our Rural Future policy.

We have introduced approximately two dozen new or significantly enhanced services since the plan's inception on behalf of the NTA.

We understand the value that these services bring to the communities we serve. We make a significant contribution to rural economies, both directly through those we employ and indirectly through our supply chain. We estimate that these services help to sustain well over 11,000 jobs across Ireland and that is before we count the passenger journeys delivered enabling people access to their livelihoods. Our delivery of the school transport scheme, on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth, is a prime example of the value of the rural services delivered. It bears repeating that ours is the largest scheme in Europe, with over 58 million journeys per year serving 173,000 school children each day across 10,600 routes and 8,300 vehicles.

Transport accounts for about one fifth of national emissions, while private cars are responsible for one half. By supporting modal shift from car to more sustainable public transport, we have a real opportunity to reduce emissions and protect the country's finances from avoidable fines in the future. In order to do so, we must accelerate investment in our decarbonisation efforts. The electrification of our urban services shows our ability and drive to deliver sustainable public transport solutions. Our rural heavy coach fleet, however, requires a different solution than electrification in the short term before battery technology for heavier vehicles develops. Therefore, it is crucial to incentivise the use of alternative fuels, such as HVO and green hydrogen, both for Bus Éireann and our colleagues in the private operator sector, along with the introduction of EV infrastructure across Ireland.

We currently operate approximately 150 rural routes under a direct awards contract, out of a total of 216 routes nationwide. We also operate bus stations nationally that provide public services and connectivity, employing about 3,300 people. Since 2019, funded by the NTA, we have introduced 103 low-floor single-deck coaches across the country into our services, all assigned to rural routes to support the Connecting Ireland plan. Working with the NTA and local authorities, we continue to improve accessibility, but further investment and expansion is crucial to support the growing demand on our services. We welcome the further investment from the Government allocated for bus stops in rural locations, improving safety for our customers and enabling greater accessibility for all using our rural services. We are also encouraged by the Government's introduction of reduced speeds on local roads, further facilitating safer journeys. The introduction of reduced fares for young adults, free fares for children under the age of nine and the roll-out of a national strategy to simplify bus fares are helping boost passenger journeys and encourage modal shift.

Local Link services are integral to extending access to more remote areas. These services integrate with our core routes to ensure broader access, but to fully support low-floor buses, the right infrastructure, especially at bus stations, is also essential.

The enhancements in services would not be possible without the support of all our stakeholders, especially our hard-working staff. I am proud of their dedication and commitment to delivering a valued public service. Reflecting our strong connections to communities through the country, Bus Éireann is always supporting local sporting, cultural and creative activity, whether it is Comhaltas, the annual fleadh or the community games. Most recently, we got involved with the Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. We also appreciate our customers throughout rural Ireland. We recognise that many of them have no other means of transport and rely on these services for so many aspects of their lives. We have achieved a lot for our rural communities in recent years and I know that Bus Éireann is ready to drive forward further improvements and the expansion of public transport services to rural communities.