John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the officials from the NTA. I know full well the value of the rural transport programme to communities in Laois-Offaly. If it was diluted or diminished in any way, it would send shock waves through people who are already marginalised and isolated in many ways. Fewer people can afford cars and some lack the capacity to run basic errands such as travelling to town or making medical appointments. It is an integral part of life in rural Ireland, and not only in places we would regard as extremely remote or isolated. I welcome what is being proposed in principle, as long as it is not merely a penny-pinching exercise. We can develop a better and more efficient service that takes account of natural hinterlands rather than local fiefdoms. It is important that the service be opened up in that way and if there are mergers they should lead to more effective services. Common sense must apply. There have been occasions in this country when rationalisation and centralisation did not work. The health service is one such example. People bayed for years for the closure of the regional health boards but that reform looked better on paper than in practice. We must be careful to avoid these mistakes. If we learn from the mistakes made elsewhere we can end up with a better rural transport service.

I would make a similar argument for the rural hackney service. If common sense prevails, there need not be displacement. I know many people, including those who run small businesses in rural areas, who would be willing to provide a service for customers, clients and elderly people who cannot otherwise access such a service because it would not be economical for them to do so.

We are coming to the time of year when my colleagues and I are inundated with requests from parents whose children cannot access school transport in rural areas. For some of these families, the bizarre scenario will arise whereby a bus passes the child by on the road or picks up his or her siblings. The rural transport programme could step into the breach if common sense were applied rather than the current absurd demarcation lines. Children from small villages such as The Swan have to travel to the nearest secondary school 10 km away in Ballinakill, but the official school bus passes them by. The rural transport bus may not be going at the appropriate time.

It is a shame to see two buses in one place, both half full, or half empty, depending on how one looks at it, and neither fulfilling the service required for children, students and parents. I would like the witnesses to comment on that. Is there scope for improving rural transport for school children?