New drink-link service for Cavan

Five new evening and night-time bus services are to operate in rural locations across counties Cavan and Monaghan from the end of next month.

Aimed at tackling social isolation, the new services are being rolled out on a trial basis.
Most services will run from 6pm to 11pm, typically on Friday and Saturday evenings, and will operate as an extension as to Local Link service.
They include on Route C1 Ballyhaise - Cavan Town - Liberty Insurance; Route C2, Ballinagh - Cavan Town - Cavan General Hospital; Route M1, Tydavnet, Scotstown, Ballinode to Monaghan Town; Route M2, Ballybay to Monaghan Town; while Scotshouse / Redhills route on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings must be pre-booked.
Passengers will pay a nominal fee, while travel pass holders and pensioners will travel for free. 
Other counties to benefit from the extension of service are: Carlow/Kilkenny/Wicklow (six routes), Donegal (4), Laois/Offaly (3), Cork (3), Waterford (3), Louth/Meath/Fingal (2), Tipperary (2) and Kildare (1).
The cost to the State for the six-month trial period is €450,000.
The opening of the route was welcomed by Heather Humphreys, Fine Gael TD for Cavan Monaghan, and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation. “I am delighted that Monaghan and Cavan will benefit from a new evening bus pilot scheme designed to connect communities and combat rural isolation. Given our rural location, it’s very fitting that our counties have been included in the pilot scheme, and I have no doubt that it will come as a boost to the local communities involved,” she said. The announcement comes as stricter drink-driving laws are set to be voted through the Dáil. Minister Shane Ross is in a battle with a number of rural TDs to get stricter laws through and wants to introduce a three-month mandatory ban for drivers found to have reached an alcohol limit of between 50-80mg per 100ml.