Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister referred to data on usage of the scheme. Payments to the various contractors have been set for several years. Will he take into account the fact that some of them, including the main State provider, Bus Éireann, have cut some of their routes. Bus Éireann’s Expressway routes, for example, in many constituencies, including the Minister’s, now bypass towns and use motorways instead. Several thousand people who had access to these services can no longer avail of them because they are no longer in place. While the operator has cut services, it is still receiving the full payment under the scheme. In recent days some private operators in County Donegal have spoken about not accepting the bus pass on some of their routes and withdrawing from the scheme because of the conditions the Minister has attached to it. Will the Minister ensure services are maintained and that people will have an entitlement to use their bus pass on all bus routes?

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