Imelda Goldsboro (Fianna Fail)

I thank the witnesses for their presentation. My issue is with the Local Link service in Tipperary South. Services have increased in the north and south of the county. I acknowledge the great work of Local Link and the its value to so many people. It is a lifeline. However, we do have a number of villages that do not have any services. They do not have door-to-door services or any public transport services, whether a taxi service or local bus service. That is a great concern because, unfortunately, we have a number of students who are not eligible for school transport and have concessionary tickets. They could avail of Local Link. We also have a number of individuals waiting for a driving test appointment in Tipperary South. In some places there is a 28-week backlog. We are also trying to encourage people into the workforce to upskill and train. We have great level of third level education in our towns in Tipperary South, which we are very proud of, but unfortunately we are not able to get these students into towns to do apprenticeships, post-leaving certificate courses or third level courses due to the lack of transport. Will the witnesses give me an up-to-date report on what the NTA's plans are for Tipperary South? I know it is all based on logistics, strategy and, most important, funding but if some tweaks were made, we would be able to provide linkage, connectivity and a positive outcome with little financial input.