Not the end of the line: Limerick senator pushes for bus service on the N7

SEANTOR Kieran O’Donnell has put a stop to the complete discontinuation of a bus service on the N7.

JJ Kavanagh has announced plans to end its N7 Limerick to Dublin Airport service from April 16. This route currently operates on the N7 and has stops at Belmount Cross, Daly’s Cross, Annaholty Cross and Birdhill village. The company is switching its service to the M7 thus bypassing those stops.

Senator O’Donnell raised the matter with Minister for Transport Shane Ross and asked him to take up the matter with the National Transport Authority (NTA). He also spoke to a representative of JJ Kavanagh and asked them to continue the service until a replacement commenced. Senator O’Donnell said they were “not disposed to doing this”. He made a submission to them to facilitate the provision of a bus stop at Applegreen, Birdhill.

“JJ Kavanagh is open to providing a bus stop at Applegreen subject to agreement of Applegreen and approval of the NTA,” said Senator O’Donnell.

He was also in touch with Tipperary Local Link Bus to see if they could cater for Birdhill and surrounding areas. 

This week, Senator Kieran O’Donnell said: “I have received confirmation from the National Transport Authority that they are looking at the maintenance and enhancement of the bus service for areas affected by JJ Kavanagh’s discontinuation of sections of the Limerick-Dublin bus route including Birdhill.” He welcomed the announcement by the NTA that they are “pursuing alternative proposals and operators to sustain and enhance bus services in these affected areas”.

“This is good news for service users and I will be working with local residents of Birdhill and surrounding areas to ensure that the NTA engagement with Bus Eireann and Local Link Tipperary helps establish this new bus service as quickly as possible,” said Senator O’Donnell.