Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The hospital for the town of Athlone is Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe. There has been a 60% reduction in the number of buses facilitating patients and visitors attending Portiuncula as a result of the decision by the National Transport Authority not to replace the lost Bus Éireann services. An analysis of the current Citylink replacement service with that provided by Bus Éireann shows that, between 7.30 a.m. an 9.30 p.m., the service has gone from 226 buses a week to a current offering of just 84 buses a week outside Portiuncula. There is now a different bus stop, pick-up point and drop-off point in the town of Athlone for the connection services to the local hospital in Ballinasloe and for the other regional services that stop via Bus Éireann at Southern Station, the bus station in Athlone. There are now two different pick-up points in the town of Athlone. If someone has an appointment in Ballinasloe at 11 a.m. and they have to travel from Athlone, they must get the bus at 9 a.m. and spend an hour and a half waiting in Ballinasloe for their appointment.

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