Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have a new Local Link service. It goes to Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim. I thank the manager there, Fiona O'Shea, because one of those routes is being extended with enhanced service to Ballaghaderreen and Castlerea in Roscommon. It is excellent to see they are being smart. They are looking at existing bus routes and extending them to surrounding counties. This route, 977, will operate up to eight daily return services, Monday to Saturday, between Sligo and Ballaghaderreen. Four of those services will extend to Castlerea and there will be three daily return services on Sunday. This will be crucial for commuting, getting into our towns and villages and going to the ATU Sligo campus and the hospital in Sligo. It means again we are offering more connectivity to small towns and villages.

I highlight the importance of a required route between Athlone and Ballinasloe. I have raised this a number of times, including with the Minister, Deputy Ryan. The Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan is a five-year transport plan. We are a number of years into it. The Minister mentioned a service per day has been opening up or extending. We need to see a service between the towns of Athlone and Ballinasloe replacing what used to be the 20/20x Bus Éireann service that is no longerin situ. Can we ask the Minister to give us an update on the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan and the plans for the year ahead for connections where bus services were removed by Bus Éireann and where we need to see connectivity for communities in those areas?