Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

There is a reason they are the same price. However, it is an operational matter for Bus Éireann and I do not want to get involved in the company's day to day operation.

I accept and acknowledge what the Deputy stated about Bus Éireann generally, that the company is an efficient organisation. Bus Éireann has modernised successfully over the past number of years. The passengers are not there anymore for a variety of reasons and the company must cut its cloth to suit its measure. As the Deputy stated, I acknowledge that instead of taking action that may damage the company's network, the approach it has adopted generally of reducing services on particular routes rather than abandoning routes leaves the skeleton there for some time in the future. I acknowledge the role of management and, indeed, unions in reaching an agreement to approach it in that way. That is putting the customer first and it should be acknowledged.

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