Ms Ann Graham:

With regard to school transport services, it was indicated earlier that a very high percentage of bus services are provided by private operators. A very high percentage of rural transport services are also provided by private operators. I do not have the exact percentage but I will get that information for the Deputy. Some of those services are provided by rural transport groups which own their own vehicles. I will get the breakdown of those figures for the Deputy after the meeting.

On the question of whether the rural transport service has been rolled out to every corner of the country, the service is certainly much more extensive than it was ten years ago but it could be more extensive. The limiting factor is a budgetary one. One would like to roll out many more services because there is no doubt that there are gaps in some parts of the country.