16 DFómh 2012, 11:46
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications will tomorrow discuss developments in relation to Bus Éireann’s national bus routes and the impact that the renewal of Public Service Obligation Contracts may have on public and private bus services.
16 October 2012
Committee will meet separately with representatives from Bus Éireann, the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland, who represent private operators.
Committee Chairman Tom Hayes TD continues: “Tomorrow’s meeting is a timely opportunity to engage with the main players in Ireland’s bus services, particularly at a time when the NTA is reviewing its contracts in place with Bus Éireann. Public Service Obligation contracts, administered by the NTA, provide funding for socially necessary but financially unviable public transport services in Ireland. The current PSO services contracts with Bus Éireann are due to lapse in December 2014 and the NTA are currently considering how best to award the funding post 2014. Their decision on any competitive tendering process may have implications for private operators, who will also come before the Committee tomorrow.”
The Committee will wish to press Bus Éireann management on their decision last week to downgrade some rural bus stops along its expressway routes.
Deputy Hayes continues: “There are serious implications for towns and villages along the affected Bus Éireann routes, where many rural bus stops were discontinued from Sunday 7 October.
“On behalf of the Committee, I wrote to the Bus Éireann CEO calling on the company to desist from implementing any proposed changes before engaging with us. Tomorrow’s meeting will provide Committee Members of all shades of political opinion with an opportunity to engage with the company on the implications of these changes.”
The meeting takes place tomorrow Wednesday 17 October in Committee Room 4, LH 2000 at 9:30 a.m. Committee proceedings can be viewed online via this link.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +353 1 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
Committee Membership
Deputies
Michael Colreavy, Sinn Féin
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil
Dessie Ellis, Sinn Féin
Terence Flanagan, Fine Gael
Tom Fleming, Independent
Noel Harrington, Fine Gael
Tom Hayes, Fine Gael (Chairman)
Colm Keaveney, Labour
Seán Kenny, Labour
Mattie McGrath, Independent
Michael Moynihan, Fianna Fáil
Patrick O’Donovan, Fine Gael
John O’Mahony, Fine Gael (Vice-Chairman)
Ann Phelan, Labour
Brian Walsh, Fine Gael
Senators
Terry Brennan
Sean D. Barrett
Eamonn Coghlan
Paschal Mooney
Ned O’Sullivan
John Whelan