Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

I really appreciate that. Can I make a final call? I do not request an answer on this. In the context of the Connecting Ireland remit of the NTA and the rural transport programme, what is the impact of the 15 Local Link services? My Local Link in Tipperary provides 54 door-to-door services and six regular rural services. We have a town bus in Clonmel. For a very small investment, I cannot emphasise enough the positive impact of the work of Local Link. I am not too sure what is in the Estimates in the context of Connecting Ireland rural transport for funding Local Link. We have 15 Local Links which all operate independently. There is an opportunity to reform and better connect the 15 Local Links. At the moment, there are 15 Local Links, meaning 15 companies paying 15 insurances, 15 accounting auditors, 15 solicitors and 15 payroll and accounting packages. They do not have any power or influence to compel local authorities, Bus Éireann or Irish Rail to engage with them. They cannot use their facilities. In any engagement we have with the NTA, I appeal to the Minister to champion Local Link. Can we find an extra few pounds for our Local Link services, because the work they are doing is transformative at the local level?

I conclude by thanking the Minister for being here today. I thank his senior advisory team for being available to me as Chair of this committee. I look forward, throughout this mandate, to genuine, productive, constructive engagement on advancing transport in this country and implementing the programme for Government. I thank the Minister.