Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I hope it will be increased. I cannot guarantee anything but that is our objective. It is on an upward trend and I am very hopeful that it will continue as such.

We are talking about three routes being closed down and two being revised with reduced numbers. As the Deputy will know, when that happens the NTA has committed to making an immediate assessment of whether people will be disadvantaged, how bad it is and whether the NTA needs to move in and substitute or put in more buses. What happened the other day when the Athlone to Westport route was closed down, as the Deputy mentioned, the NTA reacted fairly quickly. Let me read out its statement. The Deputy will be familiar with the numbers. The review reads:

Bus Éireann have announced a withdrawal of route 21 which currently provides 28 services per week from Westport to Athlone. The Authority has determined that there is a public service obligation to continue to provide services between Westport and Athlone.

The Authority is considering amending the existing PSO service 440 to provide 4 services per day in each direction from Westport to Athlone supplemented by 2 services per day in each direction on route 440A from Westport to Ireland West Airport Knock. This would result in a doubling of the existing services.

A more detailed assessment report will be published later with details of the route and timetables.

That is a pretty proper response. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. We have seen in that case, and in all other cases, an immediate response by the NTA. Maybe it was prepared for all of these routes but I do not know. It did say yes and provided a pretty fast replacement fleet.