Bus Eireann CEO to attend meeting on Meath services

Bus Eireann CEO, Ray Hernan, is to attend a public meeting on the company's services in Meath tomorrow (Tuesday) evening.

Meath East TD and Minister for Employment Affairs & Social Protection Regina Doherty will conduct a public meeting on Bus Éireann services in Co Meath on Tuesday 29th May, in Ratoath.
 
Ray Hernan will answer questions about the quality of bus services between the towns of Co Meath and the capital. 
 
Minister Doherty said: “There has been a problem with bus services in Meath for more than half a year. Bus Éireann tells me that services have improved, but people I meet, and people who contact me by email and Facebook tell a different story.
 
“The purpose of the meeting is not to roast Mr. Hernan, who is good enough to come and face criticism from commuters. It is to come to some agreed understanding of the actual quality of services, and then to find out how they will be improved.
 
“The problem services are primarily the 103, 103X 105, 105X, 109 and the 109A. These are services that daily commuters rely on to get to and from work, university and hospital appointments.”
 
Last October, the minister was criticised by SIPTU and the NBRU (National Bus and Railworkers Union) for suggesting that unofficial industrial action was the cause of bus service disruption in the county. At the time there was an absentee rate of 14 per cent locally in Bus Éireann; compared to a national average in the public service of just four per cent.
 
The Minister responded by saying: “I am indifferent as to whether the unions want to understand this as an unofficial dispute, or a bad dose of the flu in Co Meath. What I am concerned about is that the people in Co.Meath who use Bus Éireann services to commute to work, to college, for social reasons, or to attend hospital services, can rely on their services again.”
 
This week, the Minister said: “It appears that services have gradually improved since that time before Christmas, but the level of complaints I receive about Bus Éireann indicates there is substantial progress yet to be made. I invite all those who are concerned about their local bus services to come and make their views known on Tuesday night.”
 
The Bus Éireann Service public meeting will take place at 8.30pm on Tuesday 29th May, in Ratoath Community Centre, Ratoath.