Is the 68 bus reliable?

I'm a student and have to commute from town to Peamount hospital by 7.30am in the mornings. My only option is to get the 68 bus, but it's super infrequent by the looks of things and I'm worried about making it in on time. I also have to travel out of town to get the bus, and don't want to have to wait over an hour in a strange area of Dublin if it doesn't turn up.

Could anyone let me know if they've any experience taking the bus toward Newcastle?

It's a full-time, unpaid placement and I don't drive :(