Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this issue. I want to record my condemnation of the decision by Bus Éireann to withdraw completely the bus transport services from the towns of Elphin, Roosky and Dromad. I also echo the comments of Deputy Brendan Smith regarding the provision of services in Ballinamore. It makes no sense, in time or distance travelled, to change either Route 22 between Ballina and Dublin or Route 23 between Sligo and Dublin from the current route that services these towns to the route proposed by Bus Éireann, with two weeks notice.

Services cannot be removed completely from communities. We are told the public service obligation, PSO, does not cover this decision, but we are also told the National Transport Authority, NTA, has responsibility to allocate funding under the PSO. Surely it makes more sense for the NTA to provide financial assistance to Bus Éireann to continue to provide these services to the communities involved rather than remove a service completely.

These communities lost their local hospital in the past 14 months and are now to lose the alternative bus service to the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar which could help to provide an alternative for hospital appointments. We were promised a streamlining of the budget of more than €200 million for rural transport and the PSO, along with funding for HSE non-emergency transport and school transport services. That streamlining has not been done although it could provide savings and assistance to Bus Éireann, not only to continue to provide existing services but to enhance them. We are also told there will be a tendering for bundles of services which could include profitable and non-profitable routes. That has not happened either, although it could help to address this situation and provide a service to the communities involved.

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