Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)

I do not want to get into a political back and forth with Deputy Ward because I respect where he is coming from. However, if we look at the Local Link service in Donegal and talk to the TCU manager there, Fionnuala O'Shea, we see the investment in the 966, 959, 957, 954, 952 and 953 routes. People are using Local Link. If the Government had turned its back on Donegal and was not investing in it, as the Deputy claimed, those routes would not be there. We are investing.

I take his point that Donegal is the only county, or one of the few counties, with no rail link. However, in terms of rural transport, the Government is connecting people. I meet them every day. I was struck by the people I met in Donegal in terms of the mobility and connectivity available to them. If we took out the bus service, there would be nothing; I take the Deputy's point on that. However, the Government has been investing in those bus services, which he has not acknowledged at all. We are investing in new routes, new ideas and new connectivity, reducing socialisation marginalisation and connecting people. One example of that is students being able to travel to college.

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