Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The overarching aim of the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan is to develop an accessible, integrated and sustainable network of public transport services in rural and regional areas nationwide. In budget 2022, I was delighted to secure an allocation of €5.6 million to progress, develop and begin delivery of this important plan. To keep this momentum going, I will be working closely with my colleagues in Government to secure funding for the continued rollout of Connecting Ireland over its five-year implementation period, which started earlier this year.

Regarding the timeline, the delivery and improvement of routes identified through the consultation process on the Connecting Ireland plan are being prioritised to areas where Ukrainians fleeing the war in their homeland have been housed. Additional public transport services are being made available through an acceleration of network improvements, which include the provision of additional stops, route modifications and delivering more services with the aim of increasing connectivity. These services will ensure better access for all those housed in rural communities. Areas such as the Ring of Kerry will avail of such improvements, in practice catering for existing demands as well as responding to the increased pressures on services where the local population has grown in response to the humanitarian crisis.

I understand the services will be mainly provided by a mixture of Transport for Ireland Local Link and Bus Éireann services. Other examples of service accelerations already in place include those between the towns of Ennis and Ballyvaughan, Tullamore and Banagher, Ashbourne and Balbriggan and the Cavan-Monaghan area. I am advised that the NTA is currently in the procurement, planning and design stage for up to 40 enhanced services nationwide this year, with five aimed specifically at emergency transport provision. All going well, many of these services are anticipated to be operational by the end of the summer.

On the business case for Connecting Ireland, the final part of the Deputy's question, which includes provisional cost estimates, is currently under review in my Department. We are working hard to bring this ambitious plan to Government for its consideration as soon as possible.

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