John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Higgins for raising this important issue. I am taking this Adjournment debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar.

The Minister has no role in the bus routes operated by Bus Éireann. The provision of bus services and the routes they take are operational matters for the company in conjunction with the National Transport Authority. Bus Éireann operates a mix of services. Some of these services are commercial services in which it competes on the open market with private operators. It also operates public service obligation, PSO, services. The PSO payment is made to the company to carry out important and necessary bus services that otherwise would not be viable. The Minister recognises there must be a focus on and realistic assessment of the scope and level of PSO contracted services in the years ahead in line with key public transport priorities.

The Minister has made inquiries with the National Transport Authority and it has confirmed that the withdrawal of Bus Eireann's PSO route 418 between Athenry and Galway has been approved by the authority. The approval follows a number of changes to the network of public transport services in the Galway area including the extension of Galway city route 410 to serve Oranmore, the increase in rail services from Athenry to Galway and the licensing of additional bus services between Athenry and Galway to Farrell Travel trading as Buslink. The Minister understands the NTA view that these services adequately meet the demand for travel and between Athenry and Galway and Oranmore and Galway. Oranmore is also well served by Bus Éireann commercial routes 20 and 51 and by Citylink's commercial route between Galway and Dublin City and the airport. The NTA also pointed out that the numbers of passengers travelling between Athenry is insufficient to justify the continuation of route 418.