Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Today is the last day of the operation of the Leitrim community car scheme. It is run by the Leitrim Volunteer Centre out of Carrick-on-Shannon. It has more than 35 volunteer drivers and has transported 533 people in 14 months, 90% of them to hospital appointments in Sligo, Galway, etc. I raised this issue many times with the previous Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and the HSE but there has been no progress. All this group needs is €20,000 to run the scheme for one year. A round-trip taxi fare to the hospital in Sligo from Carrick-on-Shannon costs €210. The 533 trips made by the community car scheme would have cost €111,000 at the same rate, yet €20,000 cannot be found to fund this scheme. It is finishing today. I ask the Government to either fund the current scheme or immediately put in place a pilot community car scheme, similar to the one run by Fingal County Council in partnership with Local Link and GoCar. I ask the Taoiseach not to leave people in County Leitrim stranded without transport.

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