Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 2: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the success of the pilot scheme for night time transport in rural communities; if the scheme has been a success; if he will increase the pilot scheme; if he will roll out the scheme to other rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18842/08]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy will be aware, in many rural areas there are no public transport services at night. While there are either hackney or taxi services in more developed rural areas, these are at the discretion of the providers of these services and do not provide a guaranteed service to rural people.

It was against this background that in May 2007 I introduced a new evening transport service, on a pilot basis, to allow rural people to fully participate in the various activities — community, sporting and social — that take place in their areas. Thirty-four groups currently deliver the rural transport programme, which is operated by the Department of Transport, seven of which are delivering the pilot evening transport service.

I am informed that the scheme is widely used in the areas in which it is in operation. Funding of €500,000 was pledged for the one-year pilot and, to date, €375,000 has been spent. I have decided to continue funding the pilot until the end of 2008, by which time it will be reviewed. Decisions on its future will be informed by the outcome of that evaluation.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

When the Minister suggested this originally, there were many sceptics who wondered whether it could work. As a rural Deputy, I see where the private concerns are able to do it and I am fully supportive of moving this initiative forward.

The question is twofold. A recent reply to a parliamentary question to the Minister for Transport stated that the rural transport initiative would cover all counties. How will this initiative tie in with the other one? While I accept that there must be a review to evaluate its success, is the thrust of what the Minister is trying to do that he will align this with the rural transport initiative?

My other concern, while not of the Minister's making, is that in my area the rural transport initiative is coming under question and we are being told that there is a cutback. On the one hand, we have this pilot scheme which is a success, but, on the other, there is a grey area in the successful rural transport initiative regarding the number of areas covered being reduced.

The overall proposal is a winner, but has the Minister been in contact with the Minister for Transport about moving it forward and has he any information from the Department of Transport on proposals to cut back the initiative? Pobail was one of the groups to which funding was made available for the rural transport initiative. Has the Minister any information on even a thought of cutting it back? Although I realise the rural transport initiative is not the responsibility of the Minister, in the overall picture we must tease it out to ensure it is a success in the future.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It is the case that Pobail administers the rural transport scheme for the Department of Transport. Even though Pobail comes under my Department administratively, the day time rural transport scheme of the Department of Transport is totally a matter between Pobail and the Department of Transport and I have no day-to-day function in it.

However, with my wider rural hat on me, I am very interested in that scheme. My understanding is it is to be rolled out nationwide and I have not heard anything of cutbacks. In fact, if Deputy Wall checks the Estimates, although I am open to correction on this, he will find the provision is increased this year.

This is a key point. There is a totally different ethos involved in the night time scheme than in the day time scheme. The day time scheme mainly focuses on that section of the community that would be entitled to free travel where there are no buses on which to travel. It caters for persons such as pensioners, older persons and persons with a disability.

When I set up the night time scheme I was afraid — there is a certain validity to my fear — that, because of the tradition during the day time scheme for people who did not have cars to use it, there would be a greater focus in the night time scheme on people entitled to free travel. However, the night time scheme was to focus on the entire community who wanted to go out at night and did not want to have to drive home. Such persons might have a car or two in the driveway. If a couple wanted to go out for a night, the idea was that they would feel safe going home.

I will review this scheme. One of the reasons I am extending it to the end of the year is that I want to carry out a proper review. I note from the figures that between 64% and 66% of the night time passengers are free travel holders, but the total population of rural Ireland includes many more people who do not qualify for free travel. Therefore, to a point, one could state that we are not picking up paying customers. I am not against free travel holders using the service, but we are not inveigling paying customers onto buses. There are two downsides in that regard. First, we are not serving a market that everyone stated was there — the people who want to go out to socialise for a night who have a car but do not want to take it — and, second, I could provide a much better service for much less money if I had a bigger proportion of paying customers on the buses.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

A brief supplementary from Deputy Wall.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I agree with the Minister on the paying and non-paying aspect of it. It is logical to come to the conclusion that this is a way forward and a way of expanding it. I fully support that theory. Obviously, the Minister will get to a situation where in some instances he may have to stop paying customers getting on because the non-paying customers will not have a seat on the bus which would defeat the purpose. I am fully supportive of looking at both aspects to ensure that it is a success because it has considerable potential.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The other issue is that this is only meant to operate in place of market failure. Whereas rural transport, as we commonly know it, is needed everywhere in the country because of its focused effect, this is only meant to operate where there are no buses, taxis or hackneys available.

One suggestion, which may be a good idea and to which I am open, is that once I have done my review, we would come back to the committee some time in the autumn to get the wisdom of all its members and tease out the best approach in much more detail than can be done on a Priority Question in six minutes.

We need to convenience the greatest number of people, both with and without entitlement to free travel, and get the best bang for our buck so that we can stretch it out to as many areas of the country as need it and do not have commercial services.