Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)

I thank the Minister of State and I appreciate his sincerity. He does come from a beautiful part of County Galway. I do not want to be talking about this matter for several more years. I know that there is system we can put in place that will work. The requirements are specific. We need people to come together who can operate a vehicle that can be subsidised, such as through the €6,000 a year. These people should all have the one licence to be able to operate the vehicle. They should all come from the one community, whether it is Portroe, Newtown, Ballywilliam or the other areas near me that I mentioned. The point is that the process is too cumbersome.

Another issue is that people in a locality know about an elderly person or a person with a mobility issue. The local publicans can come together for the two nights a week that they will have a few people there and they will know what they need. They will be able to customise their requirements for the service. A number of businesses can come together, such as the shop, the community group, the publican or charities. I know there is a requirement and a demand for this service but under the current structure no one will ever take it up because it is too cumbersome.

I am glad that, hopefully, we will have a new CEO of the NTA and, hopefully, a new vision. One of the biggest issues is this idea that such a service would displace taxis. This cannot be a major consideration because the restrictions on drop-off and pick-up, and the limits on fares, mean the service will only be used in the limited circumstances I referred to. This is one of the main reasons it will not be successful unless it is changed. Taxi and hackney drivers provide a fantastic service but it is a separate service. We need what I have proposed. It is totally possible. We need engagement with the insurance industry to execute it. It is deliverable. I ask the Minister of State to please become a hero for rural Ireland.

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