13. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport if he will request the National Transport Authority to clarify when the Galway city bus services 410, 411 and 412 are put out to tender in 2027, it plans to tender the existing routes in their current form or introduce the three new services proposed under the BusConnects Galway Network Redesign; whether these new services are intended to replace the current routes; the timeline envisaged for their introduction; the service frequencies that will be specified as part of the tender process for these routes; and whether an increase in frequency is planned compared to current service levels. [67356/26]

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure including the BusConnects Network Redesign in Galway.

In light of the above, I have forwarded the Deputy's questions to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.

Pending this more detailed response, I note that the National Development Plan Transport Sectoral Investment Plan was published by my Department last November and has allocated funding to the NTA to progress BusConnects Galway. The NTA will publish a more detailed plan later this year setting out the elements of the programme to be advanced within the available funding.

BusConnects Galway will significantly improve the infrastructure available to support the continued investment in bus services, which are supported through the Public Service Obligation programme. Decisions on service changes or enhancements are a matter for the NTA, taking account of available funding, operational readiness, and driver availability.