Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Local Link service has been a help with regard to local transport issues. Its remit within the national bus service is to provide links from west to east County Limerick through Castlemahon, Kilteely, Feenagh, Dromcolliher, Foynes and Glin. I am delighted to work with it to provide the bus for rural areas from stop to stop. It also provides pick-up at the door for people who need it for different services. A route was recently approved from Granagh to Limerick. This will provide for second and third level students who cannot get accommodation around their institutions and who are staying at home and need transport. The issue we are having is that it can often take three or four connections to get to the likes of Limerick Institute of Technology and the University of Limerick. The Local Link has also done well in organising a route from Croom to Tarbert, which is also welcome. This also brings in my own local area of Ballingarry, Foynes and Glin. As a result of a recent campaign, there is a new bus coming from Charleville. We will welcome something from Cork because it comes through Limerick and gets students to the bus station. That routes starts at 7.30 a.m., which means students can get to their colleges on time. That will again feed into places like Bruree, Feenagh and Kilmeedy as people can get to the likes of O'Rourke's Cross and other areas that are approved for pick-up. They can then at least get to school even if they cannot afford a car or the insurance on one. That, at least, is helping.

There is an issue in Dromcolliher. The Government is talking about free buses for students to go to school. In Dromcolliher, 50 students require a bus. We have been on to Bus Éireann, which has told us that, if we can provide a bus driver, it will provide a bus. We have provided five, six or seven bus drivers. We have even provided a bus company but Bus Éireann will not come back to us and provide a business plan. We could get 50 students to school, which would stop at least 30 cars driving to school, which would help the environment. Will the Minister of State please intervene?

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