Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is widespread shock and anger in the west Cavan area at the decision to cease daily bus services through Swanlinbar, Bawnboy and Ballyconnell.

At present there are three return services on the route, linking with bus services in Cavan and providing a good service for customers to Dublin and northwards to Enniskillen and Donegal.

The service is provided on behalf of Bus Éireann by two operators, Martin Leydon of Swanlinbar and McGeehans of Donegal. I know many of the people who avail of the service on a constant basis and they appreciate the excellent and reliable service of those operators that has been in place in the area over many years.

Last week, Councillors Sean Smith and John Paul Feeley spoke to me about the need to outline clearly to Bus Éireann and to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the absolute anger of the local community at this further attack on rural Ireland. Not alone does this service facilitate people from west Cavan, but many others availing of the service are from south Leitrim and south Fermanagh. People of all age groups use the service, including students, workers, elderly persons and people needing to travel to Cavan General Hospital or to Dublin hospitals. Councillor Smith detailed to me the exact difficulties that will be faced by so many people who spoke to him in recent days, who need this public transport and who are not in a position to hire taxis. Many individuals do not have immediate family members to bring them to hospital appointments or on other necessary journeys. Individuals and representatives of different groups have spoken to the local newspaper, The Anglo-Celt , and to the local radio station, Northern Sound, outlining the major setback this practical cessation of these services will mean for so many families.

To my knowledge, the route has attracted good customer numbers over the years. Indeed, a proposal was put forward by Ballinamore Community Council to extend the service. Such an extension of service would provide a direct route to Dublin for a large part of County Leitrim as well as for that important part of west Cavan and south Fermanagh.

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