Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I appreciate her taking the time. The history here is that before our more modern bus services in our urban centres, including in Waterford city, in towns like Sligo, we had an imp bus service, which comprised small buses that covered all the areas. We were lucky to have had this in Sligo and it gave quite a full service to the people in urban areas. Unfortunately, with its abolition and replacement with a more modern service, it left several gaps, in particular, the whole west area of Sligo town. One particular group, the Merville Maugheraboy active retirement association, spearheaded the search for a replacement service and it was joined by all the councillors on Sligo County Council and the four the Deputies. An approach was made to the National Transport Authority, NTA, and meetings were held directly with the councillors of Sligo County Council and, indeed, the four Deputies. I must praise the NTA because it designed an appropriate route, which it proposes to call the S3 and which will provide adequate services for part of the urban area in which many elderly people, people without the benefit of a car, people without the resources to access other forms of public transport, such as taxis, and people who may need access to hospitals, to the Institute of Technology Sligo, soon to be a technological university, and to St. Angela's College, live. For that reason, it has designed an appropriate service for us, the S3.

It is about a year or so since we pulled this plan together and, again, I praise the NTA. However, what is missing is the funding to facilitate it. It is not a huge amount of money; presumably, we are talking about a bus and a number of drivers and whatever support staff are needed to run this service. This Government and, in particular, the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Green Party, are very much focused on the promotion of sustainable transport methods. The rising cost of fuel and other items have been highlighted in other debates here and show that we need to prioritise the provision of such schemes.

This is far from a metro north, an extension to the DART or the procurement of 600 new rail carriages. We are not reinventing the wheel. What I would love to hear from the Minister of State, on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is that the cheque is on its way to Ms Graham in the NTA and that the new bus will commence on particular date. I look forward to hearing from the Minister of State.

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