Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)

Of course, the Minister of State is more than welcome any time. Perhaps we could take a bus trip around west Kerry during the recess. That applies to the Minister as well. There is a feeling that there is a regional imbalance and that the infrastructure is much better in the cities than it is in, for example, west Kerry. Cars are the dominant mode of transport in rural Ireland. They are used for 82% of all trips. The National Transport Authority's latest household travel survey demonstrates that a significant portion of the population does not access public transport services at all. From the massive increase in the numbers accessing the services that have been provided, we see that, when they are provided, people will use them. We can see that from the Local Link services, where demand is outpacing what is being delivered. We have a problem, in that, because of the housing crisis, many students are talking public transport to college. The bus from Ballybunion through Listowel and into Tralee is oversubscribed. Will the Minister of State commit to producing another bus for September?

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