Billy Hann

And how are they performing?

We do have issues with them, Pat, because it's relatively new technology.

There's reliability issues with the bus and the chargers themselves.

But we're working very, very hard with the manufacturers, the NTA, on the charging side and the bus side to try and address those particular reliability issues so we can speed up and accelerate the rollout of the electric bus.

Exactly.

And look, we would have done a lot of consultation with Dublin Fire Brigade with regards to the use of electric buses and the storage of them and how they, you know, how we charge them and so on.

So we're fairly comfortable that we're meeting all the international standards around safety for electric buses.

Yeah, the retention rate's around 7%, so we're one of the best in the industry with regards to retention, but it does equate to about five a week.

About 40% of them are actually through retirement, and about 60% of them are through retention issues.

They no longer want to work in the bus industry.

We've gone to South Africa largely because, one, they drive on the same side of the road as us.

It's very difficult to get D licence drivers in Ireland.

That's why we opened up the B licence.

You can get them in South Africa.

So we have gone to South Africa and we're recruiting 100 South African drivers with D licences.

They're now on the way into Ireland.

We're trying to get them work permits, visas and so on.

And how are you for mechanics?

Mechanics, we've had to go to the Philippines, Pat.

I think it's, I've made it no secret in the media before myself, we've lost a generation of tradespeople in this country.