Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a little more information that I could not impart in my first contribution. Since being appointed Minister of State with responsibility for disability, I have, as the Deputy knows, visited that area thanks to my Oireachtas colleagues. I also met with Deputy Kehoe when I was down there. They have been continuously campaigning on the matters the Deputy has raised in the context of transport, the vastness of the area and the need for it. In that context, I have also met with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and his officials on this issue. I made that meeting on the basis of what the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, presented to me concerning a very well-run LocalLink service in the area. As part of Connecting Ireland, we are looking at one of the first models we will roll out will be in that area because of the good services that are there already in relation to LocalLink. It is still being put through its paces to see where it will sit and how it will run but when one starts, one starts with one of the better models, which is in the Carlow area. We would hope to expand it into other areas and to include disabilities services.

We have, right across the country, a very good LocalLink service. LocalLink is 85% suitable for persons with disabilities to use and we now need to ensure that a person with a disability can get on the LocalLink vehicle. That is a piece which might have been missing in the past. As we have a good LocalLink there, we are looking to delivering it out to include areas of disability.

See this speech in context