Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I am pleased to be here to answer Deputy Jackie Cahill's question and continue to engage with him on this vital issue. We have been able to continue to provide a limited but important public transport service through the Covid-19 crisis. I worked in the tourism sector for many years and recognise the important role that private bus and coach operators provide to the Irish people. We must ensure that they survive this crisis as best we can.

While the majority of public transport in Ireland is provided by the publicly-subvented bus and rail services funded through National Transport Authority's public service obligation programme, the public transport system also includes non-subvented bus services provided on a commercial basis by bus and coach businesses of varying sizes. I understand that approximately 90% of the commercial bus operators have suspended their services or are providing significantly reduced services at present. The licensed bus sector provides essential public transport services across the State and in 2018 operated over 90 million km, carrying in excess of 27 million passengers.

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Such operations are an integral part of the overall provision of transport services to the public and supplement the services provided under public service contracts with the National Transport Authority, NTA.

From my Department's engagement with representatives of the licensed bus operators, and indeed from the NTA's regular engagement with them throughout the crisis, I understand the very difficult business environment these operators are operating in. Indeed, across Government we are acutely aware that the Covid-19 situation presents huge challenges for many business sectors. The sector will continue to play a crucial role over the coming months in supporting the Government's Roadmap for Reopening Society and the Economy, particularly with a more significant return to work and recommencement of retail activities in addition to the expected increase in trips to hospitals, pubs, restaurants and entertainment venues, or for visiting friends and family and, indeed, the return of school transport in the autumn. It is critical for the sector to be functioning so that it can carry the passengers that we need to return to work and to other activities as they reopen. These operators provide essential transport services for people who need to get to work and are vital to ensure economic recovery.

For that reason, I am pleased to advise the Deputy that temporary funding supports, in accordance with EU and national legislation, have been approved for the licensed bus sector. This support is a positive development and has been welcomed by the industry. It is aimed at ensuring the continued operation of essential licensed bus services for a period of up to six months. The support will be restricted to operators where a clear public interest justification supports such intervention and will be targeted at compensating the gap between specified costs and the revenues generated on the services. The NTA, as the public transport licensing agency, will administer the support through the establishment of contracts between the NTA and the relevant operators. This is, of course, additional to the wider programme of Government supports for impacted businesses which were introduced, including new schemes of wage subsidies, rates waivers, restart grants, lending facilities, equity injection, and business advisory supports.

Over the course of the Covid-19 crisis, my Department has been working closely with the NTA to ensure public transport services continue and to plan for the provision of enhanced public transport services in line with the Government's roadmap. A number of measures have been introduced across the system, guided by public health advice, to ensure the continued operation of services during the pandemic, including enhanced cleaning regimes and social distancing measures across the network. At the onset of the Covid emergency in mid-March, there was a sharp drop to approximately 10% of pre-Covid numbers. This situation continued until mid-May. Since the implementation of the Government's roadmap, however, passenger demand has increased, albeit from extremely low levels.

With the commencement of phase 3 of the roadmap for reopening on 29 June, changes to the existing public transport social distancing restrictions were agreed, allowing a move from 2 m social distancing to utilising 50% of the passenger carrying capacity of fleet. This will help to underpin public transport services provided by public and commercial licensed operators during these unprecedented times, with a view to safeguarding public transport capacity in phases 3 and 4 of the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business.

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