Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Question 48: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will confirm that funding will be maintained in the rural transport programme in 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42690/10]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 57: To ask the Minister for Transport his plans for the rural transport initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42618/10]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for Transport his plans to expand the rural transport link; the number of services in operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39281/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take questions Nos. 48, 57 and 83 together.

Some 36 rural community transport groups are being funded under my Department's rural transport programme, which is operational in every county. These groups are working towards maximising coverage in their operational areas having regard to local public transport service needs and the availability of resources. I understand that on average some 13,600 transport services a month are now being provided under the programme. In addition, a number of pilot transport projects have been undertaken in the north east and north west to explore the potential for improved synergies between existing transport providers.

The outcome of these projects, together with those of the recently completed exercise to map all transport services in County Louth and a cross-Border pilot rural community transport project under the auspices of the British-Irish Council, will feed into the process for developing rural transport policy into the future. Some €11 million is being provided for the programme this year. Consideration of further funding for the programme will be considered by the Government in the context of the budget for 2011 and later years.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have a number of specific questions. I recognise that rural transport requires a State subsidy and is quite complex in its make-up. Is the Minister satisfied that the €196 million per year currently being paid for school transport, in the context of rural transport, as well as the average €25 million per year spent on providing HSE transport, largely made up of hiring taxis in rural areas, represents the best delivery structure for a cost-effective rural transport system?

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I am not satisfied that we are getting the kind of value we might be able to achieve if the system had more integration. That is why we have initiated some of the projects being discussed. There was one in operation for a while with the HSE in Cork as well. We should be able to get better value for money and that is the reason those projects have been put in place. It is also the reason I asked Bus Éireann, the Department of Education and Skills, the HSE and my Department to try to formulate a better integrated system.

We can do better on rural transport, and the Deputy is probably aware that there are a number of voluntary groups with their own transport which may be integrated into the process. I have asked groups and officials from my Department to engage with the National Transport Authority to see if this can be pulled together to reduce costs generally in the system while improving the service at the same time.

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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I am glad the Minister has indicated he is not happy with the current system and that it is not sufficiently integrated. Does the Minister have any thoughts on combining some of the services being provided on one side by the HSE, which are very costly, with school transport on the other side, where separate fleets of vehicles are being used? Has he considered bringing on board local authorities, which are providers of very considerable services throughout the country? An integrated system is the only way we will be able to make a rural transport service functional in any decent capacity.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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My aim in this regard is to try to combine services and ensure we get value for money. It is a good area and we could get more with less money even than we are talking about now. As Deputy Coveney noted, it is a complicated area and we are talking about network planning. Bus Éireann have experts in this regard and with the school bus service, for example, a considerable number of providers are on contract to CIE; they are not employees of the company. I am not sure how many of those would be available during the course of the day. It should be sufficient to give a reasonably integrated service throughout the country.

The Deputies made points about the HSE and health services and there was a very good system in operation for a while in the hospital in Drogheda. A minibus brought people to a clinic and they were taken in the first couple of hours. After some time for a cup of tea or coffee, they were brought back. The two systems married well. Unfortunately, a change in personnel in the hospital blew that out of the water but we should be capable of providing such programmes to ensure a good service.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the fact that the Minister is open to suggestions in this regard. I ask the Minister to include in such a review the following issue. With more emphasis on preventing drunk driving in the past few years, people in remote rural areas, especially younger people, have no way to go home at night from discos, etc. I have travelled through several towns in the past few months late at night and could see such people waiting in a queue in the cold, with some walking home. It is unfair and the issue should be examined. Will the Minister consider this as it is a matter of controversy and concern?

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I will consider it but we must ensure that some of the cost would be met by those who benefit most from people being out late at night.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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It is not as simple as that.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There is a social aspect that probably requires a State subsidy from a road safety perspective. Will the Minister consider clustering services, whether they are for the HSE, school transport or some other rural transport service provision? Will he allow the private sector to compete for the business through an outsourcing tendering process so as to encourage people to come forward with cost-effective solutions for a cluster of problems within counties or regions? Bus Éireann will be part of that competitive process but there are plenty of private operators, some of which are operating under contract to Bus Éireann now, which would love to have the opportunity to tender for this business if given the opportunity.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Many rural transport groups use private transport and Bus Éireann is hardly involved at all in the provision of these services. Pobal makes the specific funding available to individual rural transport programmes and contracts services.

In some cases, rural transport programmes may have their own vehicles but the one of which I am aware in Meath does give facilities and business to the private sector. I have no difficulty with that. It is a good idea that we should have competition.