Reports of further cuts to more than 99 Bus Eireann routes will be shocking news for commuters around the country.

Initial plans for cutbacks at the company included the loss of 162 buses and 320 jobs as well as cuts to around 52 routes and services. However, it is being reported today that, in fact, 99 routes in total will be affected including the loss of seven routes in Cork, five in Waterford, two in Limerick, two in Galway and four in Athlone. This will be accompanied by a massive service reduction of up to 50% on some routes and the ending of city services in Cork, Limerick and Waterford after 7pm.

It is astonishing that this level of cutbacks are being planned for Bus Eireann given that the government commissioned Deloitte and Touche report in effect recently gave the company a clean bill of health and described it as "largely efficient" with "limited" scope for "significant cost savings."

This week also saw Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Eamon O’Cuiv cut funding for a number of evening transport services in seven rural areas including east and west Cork, Cavan, Sligo, Roscommon, Donegal and Laois from July 7th.

Public bus networks and services are being decimated around the country. The savage scale of Bus Eireann cutbacks will particularly hit senior citizens and other vulnerable citizens in rural areas given the already existing massive rural public transport gap.

I understand that these cutbacks are set to be implemented over the coming number of weeks. It is now more than time for Transport Minister Noel Dempsey to finally step in and address this matter given the devastating social and economic impact that cutbacks of this magnitude will have. I also intend to raise the Bus Eireann cutbacks at the Dail Transport Committee next week.