Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her response and engagement with this issue. She mentioned that people in west Beara have approached Local Link. I assure the Minister of State that I have also met with Local Link on this issue. It is doing everything it can to try to find additional funding support. At present, it simply does not have the funds to provide an additional service. It already runs free services for which it fundraises, including transport to addiction services in west Cork. I assure the Minister of State that Local Link is doing its level best. It just needs more funding to be able to provide this service. The young people concerned currently have a temporary service. It is a matter of saving it and its positive impact. In essence, the solution is ready and in place. It just needs the Government funding. I pay tribute to the young people and their families who have campaigned tirelessly on this issue, in addition to the local St. Vincent de Paul community and Beara West Family Resource Centre. They should all be acknowledged. The rural community has shown what is possible. It is now time for the Government to support it.

The integration of services is crucial. As the Minister of State mentioned, we have some of the highest rates of unemployment among disabled people in the EU and high levels of social exclusion and poverty. We need to do everything we can to support dynamic young people like these. Some of those who attend the National Learning Network in Bantry have an incredible success rate. Last year, 92% of the students there progressed to either part- or full-time employment or further education and training. That is an incredible figure, rivalling the universities in Cork. Enabling their access to this facility is not only about their rights; it is potentially life-changing.

This situation also underlines the need for improved public transport more generally on the Beara Peninsula. I do not know if the Minister of State knows this, but the Connecting Ireland plan would see Castletownbere being classified as a local route rather than a regional one, which would downgrade the entire connectivity of the Beara Peninsula, when we all know there are no public services there that people could access. This case provides clear evidence of the need for that to change. With dependable daily transport, these young people and others could access training, employment, day services, social outlets and so on. As the new year approaches, we need a solution to this matter. Given the emotion surrounding it, the sooner clarity can be provided, the better. I again thank the Minister of State for her response.

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