Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Aire Stáit. It is good to be talking to a Galway Minister on these issues. The latest I have on this states the dates for implementation of the new service have not yet been set but it is anticipated the changes would happen in 2027. I thank the Minister of State for his response but it is disappointing to hear that the BusConnects network changes have been pushed back again. What is causing the delay? I was previously told the changes would start to come in during 2025. More recently, I was told 2026 and now I am hearing about 2027. Will the Minister of State clarify how the 2027 date is compatible with the contracts in place? If there is a two-year gap between the end of the current City Direct contracts and the network changes, would that mean the NTA intends to implement new contracts with City Direct between 2025 and 2027?

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