442. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware that the NTA has not provided an interim town service for Letterkenny since the previous contractor withdrew the service (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61849/26]

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators. As Minister for Transport I continue to engage with the NTA on an ongoing basis in relation to maintaining high operational standards on all forms of public transport.

In light of the NTA's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.