Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

Many rural transport groups use private transport and Bus Éireann is hardly involved at all in the provision of these services. Pobal makes the specific funding available to individual rural transport programmes and contracts services.

In some cases, rural transport programmes may have their own vehicles but the one of which I am aware in Meath does give facilities and business to the private sector. I have no difficulty with that. It is a good idea that we should have competition.

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