Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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67. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware of the cancellation of a service (details supplied) from Galway to Dublin Airport; if he is considering steps to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13234/24]

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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I raise the cancellation of the Aircoach from Galway to Dublin Airport. This has caused huge concern across Galway. Will the Minister outline the steps he is taking to address this matter?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I would like to reassure the Deputy that both my Department and the National Transport Authority, NTA, are aware of Aircoach’s decision to withdraw its 706 Galway to Dublin Airport service from 8 April. While the majority of public transport in Ireland is Exchequer-funded through the PSO programme, a critical part of the national public transport system is comprised of bus services run on a commercial basis throughout the country. The Galway to Dublin Airport service provided by Aircoach falls into the latter category. As a result, any decision taken on the cessation of that specific route is a commercial decision solely for the operator, in which neither my Department or the NTA has a role.

That said, in circumstances where a commercial operator ceases running a specific route, the NTA undertakes an examination to determine whether, with the discontinuation of the commercial service, it is necessary for a replacement PSO route to be introduced to ensure no loss of connectivity to the public. This process includes an assessment of the level of demand for public transport services in the affected area, an evaluation of whether existing PSO services can be reconfigured to meet any shortfall, and whether it is necessary to competitively tender for the provision of services.

Regarding the connectivity consequences of Aircoach’s decision, I reassure the Deputy that my officials and I are engaging with the NTA on this matter to ensure there are no gaps along particular segments in the network, and to assess if there is a need to provide any additional services. Once the NTA has carried out its assessment, its decision will be made public.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. The context to all of this is that in September 2020, Bus Éireann announced that the 20X20 route between Galway and Dublin was to be discontinued as and from July 2021. At that time, the NTA granted a licence for the Aircoach 706 706X commercial service, which has then being running since July 2021 with ten departures each way, seven days a week. At that time, I raised this with the Minister and the NTA and was told that private operators would fill the gap left by the 20X20. However, this has proven to be a failure as well. Public transport is a public service that cannot simply be left to private operators. We need to make sure we have a public transport system that is working. I frequently hear from people in Loughrea in particular, that the bus that was meant to replace the 20X20 passes them by without stopping due to it being full. I hear what the Minister is saying. How long will this process take? When is he going to make sure there is some type of service available to people so that they can get that access to Dublin Airport?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The reality is that there are significant services from Galway to Dublin Airport, such as the Citylink services of which the Deputy will be aware.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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But not through County Galway.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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They are very significant in number and, therefore, we are not going to see that connectivity completely disappear. The Deputy is right. The Aircoach service was there replacing that Bus Éireann services and in both instances the demand was not there. It is a commercial decision. If Aircoach was seeing large passenger numbers, it would obviously not be stopping the route. I expect the NTA to have that response to the Deputy's question within a short number of months. Typically, the analysis will be done, the patterns of travel on the route and the other available services assessed. It is only after this that we will assess it again. It is not that there is a complete absence of connectivity from Galway to Dublin Airport. There are very significant numbers of services and that may be one of the reasons it has proven difficult for commercial operators to make a viable project on the same route.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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There is no harm in that but we need to be looking at rural Ireland as well and its connectivity. I live in Galway city and can jump on a Citylink or a GoBus any day of the week, almost any hour, but we also need to look at services for rural areas. We cannot have a situation where this Government is once again forgetting about rural Ireland and public transport links for rural Ireland. It is extremely important and the Minister should really understand that. I understand what he is saying regarding issue of demand. Again, when relying on private commercial operators to deliver a service that really and truthfully the Government should be delivering, then of course it will be about an issue of demand instead of an issue of service and guaranteeing services for these areas. The Minister mentioned that the NTA would come back to me and that it would be a matter of a short number of months. A short number of months is not good enough. That is why I am bringing it directly to the Minister.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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First, with regard to rural public transport services, there has never, in the history of the State, been a Government that has been so committed to expanding rural bus and rural public transport services. In the past two years, every week we have introduced a new or enhanced rural public transport service and we have seen-----

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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This is cancelled.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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-----a spectacular increase in demand for rural public transport services. I will happily compare our record in that regard with any other country or any other time in Irish history where there has been such an expansion of rural public transport services.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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But this is cancelled.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Regarding the airport service, we will, as I said, carry out an assessment, as the Deputy said, with GoBus and Citylink. It will be very extensive. We are investing to improve Irish Rail services connectivity between Galway and Dublin-----

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Not to Dublin Airport.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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-----so that there is a major enhancement and expansion of public transport services. We have to look to see even in that instance where the services are best deployed. If there is a need for a PSO intervention, a gap in the market where there is not an existing service, or where commercial services have not delivered, we will look at that-----

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister. We are over time.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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-----but depicting it as no service or a lack of new rural public transport services is not accurate.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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There was a service and it was cancelled.