Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her reply and I agree with her last point. I know of one operator that operates a substantial service covering a very large rural area, including a number of smaller towns and villages. The owner told me that were it not for the fact that he was deemed eligible to offer customers the free travel facility, his service would not be viable. I understand that the conditions applied by the NTA and the Department are too restrictive for private carriers seeking access to the scheme in respect of a particular route. As we prepare for a post-Covid future, there must be a greater acceptance of the value of the private carrier operating a public service and we must ensure those operators have access to the free travel scheme. The scheme can make the difference in whether a service is provided or not provided. Unfortunately, we may face a situation in rural Ireland where services are lost in some towns and villages and people have to travel further, whether for medical appointments or routine business. We want to ensure that people living in remote areas who do not have their own private transport and may not have immediate family members to take them a distance for shopping or other business have the opportunity, within reason, to avail of a public transport service.

See this speech in context