Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I do not have the detail of the stages of investment and what will happen on the ground over the next few years. The Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan is a major national public transport initiative funded by the Department of Transport and managed by the National Transport Authority, NTA. The aim of the plan is to increase public transport connectivity, particularly for people living outside major towns and cities. The Department of Transport has allocated €5.6 million from budget 2022 to the NTA to commence planning under this initiative. I think it is fair to say the planning will come first and the investment will follow in the next few years. Connecting Ireland proposes to expand the public transport network to rural areas and to increase service levels. As the Deputy said, there is a 25% overall increase in rural bus services. Some 70% of people in Ireland will have access to a public transport service that provides at least three return trips daily to the nearby town. The active travel infrastructure will also connect in with these over time.

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