Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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221. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the NTA has been provided with the funding and green light to provide Carlow town centre with a bus service; and the status of the promised service. [21453/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.  The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally, and for the allocation of associated funding to the relevant transport operators.  

As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government does commit to the introduction of new services, including new town services, in order to improve public transport connectivity.  I intend to pursue additional funding for such services in the context of the Programme for Government during 2021.  My primary focus at present is ensuring that the existing level of PSO and Local Link public transport services continue to operate in a safe manner during the Covid-19 pandemic, and I secured over €670m in Budget 2021 for that purpose. By comparison, the level of PSO and Local Link funding provided in 2019 was in the region of €300m.