Ms Cate Hartigan:

The scheme the Minister of State is referring to is the LARITS project - Senator Mulcahy may have come across it - which cuts across the rural transport scheme. It is being operated by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. It is very much about having a national scheme that is operated locally. It ties in with rural transport systems that are operated by the HSE. As the Minister, Deputy Reilly, mentioned earlier, service providers such as the Irish Wheelchair Association are also involved. It fits very well within the mainstreaming policy for people with disabilities. People need local solutions to local access problems, essentially. I think the project has operated a couple of pilot schemes so far. It is still at a reasonably early stage. The most recent feedback we have received suggests that it is operating very well. It uses conventional and non-conventional transport systems. Not only does it address local need, but it also ensures that people with disabilities are not segregated from the rest of society. Many people who happen to have physical or intellectual disabilities are part of the ordinary lives of their local communities. Rather than isolating them, we need to make sure they are further integrated. That can involve ensuring such people live together rather than in isolated accommodation. This project ticks a number of the boxes in our disability strategy. It provides local solutions for local people. The national framework ensures there is some measure of access equality in all of these things. It is in its early stages, as I have said, but it is looking pretty good so far. There is a huge level of co-operation in the areas where it is in existence.