Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have no problem with speaking to some of the Departments involved. We will talk to them. I would not have a problem in talking to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport or the local authorities if they were prepared to come up with some funding. We could match some of the funding if the Departments were willing to do so.

With regard to the HSE, one of the areas I have targeted under the scheme I announced in the past few weeks is where local groups work to provide local ambulances to bring people to and from hospitals or appointments each day in rural areas where the HSE will not provide that service. I am providing funding for these groups. They can make an application and draw down some funding from the Department. The HSE has agreed in the action plan to support as many rural projects as possible and stated it will work with my Department. However, the Deputy knows from working with the HSE in the past that it is not simple to get funding from it. That is the reason I wish to focus on targeted programmes. One of the schemes I included this time was a miscellaneous scheme. I wish to see what communities are seeking and if I find that ten or 12 communities are seeking the same thing, it is a measure I will consider the next time. All Departments are stating they have to work with us on the action plan and certainly provide funding for rural schemes and rural areas, but getting them to work on a particular scheme is not easy, as the Deputy is aware. That is the reason I am trying to target the money where it will be spent.