Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Bus Éireann's decision to axe almost 100 routes on its Expressway service represents a major setback for citizens in rural Ireland. A total of 15 communities are now to be left without any direct bus services whatsoever while dozens more will experience drastic cuts to vital bus links. If the cuts go ahead on the major routes affected, namely, Dublin to Cork via Kilkenny, Dublin to Waterford via Wexford and Athlone to Westport, the current 198 services a day will fall to 105. I am sure the Taoiseach accepts that this is a direct result of years of underfunding of public transport by his predecessor, but where Fianna Fáil led, the Taoiseach is now following. The Government has privatised 10% of Bus Éireann routes. The Government is making it harder and harder for the company to provide vital links which are economically and socially essential to rural communities. Bus Éireann has said very clearly that the routes need Government funding in order to survive. Farming and rural communities have condemned the latest cuts as a further attack on rural Ireland. Considering the vital social and economic benefit of linking those communities to major public transport routes, will the Government and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Teachta Paschal Donohoe, review the latest drastic decision by Bus Éireann as a matter of urgency and take whatever measures are necessary to ensure the continuation of those vital bus services?

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