Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

About two or three months ago, Transport for Ireland, TFI, introduced three Local Link bus routes in Clonmel, and this has been a huge success. Thousands of people in Clonmel have been using them, particularly over the Christmas period. The bus has got the nickname of the cruise as it brings people around from pubs to restaurants. It has been a real success in giving people options to come into the town centre to spend money, whether it be in a pub or in a restaurant, to go shopping or for pensioners to collect their pension - simple, day-to-day things that people do. It has been hugely successful.

However, all the routes come from the Cashel Road and down from the Fethard Road, and in between both those roads we have the Technological University of the Shannon, TUS, formerly LIT, and there is no bus stop there. It would make sense that Transport for Ireland would review the routes it has and include a bus stop at the college - for obvious reasons. We have many students there and it would give them an opportunity to come into the town centre. On that side we also have a sports hub which was built with Government funding of over €3 million. It has a high-class athletics track, a playground and walking facilities for all age groups and is a wonderful facility for the town, but it could be utilised more by having good transport facilities within the town.

I ask, therefore, that Transport for Ireland look at the routes that are available there and move one of the bus routes in order that it passes the college and the sports hub and gives people options to use it. We have spent an awful lot of money to do up this fantastic facility that is there not only for elite athletes but also for local people to be able to use. We should be able to get people there through public transport. It would also link the college to the train station, which is really important for the town of Clonmel. The service has been a huge success in recent months and will continue to be a success, but we should move and add a new route to include the students in the college and people who want to use the sports hub as well.