Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I reassure the Deputy that the NTA is engaging regularly with Go-Ahead Ireland and other public transport operators regarding any service provision issues on the PSO network and the authority provides regular updates to the Department on these issues. Go-Ahead Ireland is actively taking steps to reduce the impact of the increased level of staff absences on service provision through an extensive campaign to recruit new bus drivers. The NTA and Go-Ahead Ireland are currently reviewing the existing service timetables and schedules to determine whether a modified timetable could be implemented over summer months when passenger demand is reduced, thereby reducing service disruption. It is hoped that a combination of these measures will help to significantly reduce the service provision issues that have occurred recently. I will raise the issues and the questions that the Deputy put directly to me with the Minister for him to come back to the Deputy with a response.

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