Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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48. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department will be introducing legislation to give effect to the objectives set out in the Action Plan for Rural Development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4137/17]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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Will the Minister of State's Department be introducing legislation to give effect to the objectives set out in the Action Plan for Rural Development, and will he make a statement on this matter?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Realising our Rural Potential, the Government's Action Plan for Rural Development, was launched on Monday, 23 January in Ballymahon, County Longford. The plan is a whole-of-Government initiative and contains over 270 actions across five related pillars to be delivered by Departments, State agencies and other groups. The plan will support sustainable communities, support enterprise and employment, maximise our rural and recreation potential, foster culture and creativity, and improve rural connectivity.

The action plan does not, in itself, require legislation to be implemented.

Many of its objectives, including increasing employment in rural areas, protecting vital local services, revitalising rural towns and villages, and ensuring that all homes and businesses are connected to broadband, will be achieved through targeted programmes and policy implementation. Where legislation is required to implement any individual action, it will be a matter for the responsible Department to progress that legislation.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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The action plan was launched with great fanfare, which conjured up the image of an interventionist Government. How does the Minister of State square this promised interventionist approach by the Government to revive rural life in the coming years with the simultaneous threat being posed to the future of Bus Éireann in a matter of a few short weeks? Transport was mentioned three times at the publicity launch of the plan while it is mentioned 39 times in the Minister's action plan itself. The responsibility of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and of the National Transport Authority are cited in the context of delivering improvements in rural transport connectivity. What faith can we have in these promises in the context of what has taken place in Bus Éireann? The Government is standing over the threat to slash the wages and conditions of 2,500 members and even the threat to the very future of the company itself.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy knows, Bus Éireann is a semi-State company and this is a matter for its management. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, has said rural services will be protected and he has responsibility in relation to transport. The Department to which the Deputy put down the question has no responsibility in relation to Bus Éireann. However, we are very much involved in rural transport. The Minister has said there will be no cuts to rural services and I accept his word.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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I raised some of these questions with the Taoiseach last week under promised legislation and he said, rather contemptuously, that it was never the intention that every single town and village in the entire country would be provided with transport. He also said, however, that the Government would endeavour to ensure that where there is connectivity at the moment with Bus Éireann, such connectivity will remain notwithstanding cuts in that company. I put it to the Minister of State that this is a very loose formulation which allows for a situation in which the four to six connections a day Bus Éireann might provide a town or village can be blown out of the water by Mr. Hernan and the management of Bus Éireann with the sanction of the Minister, Deputy Ross, and the Government. They will then get some private operator to connect to the town once a day. Is the Minister of State prepared to give a commitment that any single service of Bus Éireann's which might be cut, albeit none should be, will be replaced bus for bus and journey by journey and that one connection will not replace five or six in any given day?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I cannot give any such guarantee. I am not the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and I am not the chief executive of Bus Éireann. I note, however, that a commitment has been given that no community will be left without a public service. It must be remembered that in my own area we have many private sector providers doing a great job on rural transport. I have many companies in north Mayo where we would not have a service if we were depending on Bus Éireann or anybody else. That service is being provided by the private sector and we are delighted to have it. The providers work with the Department of Social Protection and people can use their free travel passes. I hope these services will continue. As I say, the Government has given a commitment that no community will be left without a service. However, I cannot speak for Bus Éireann. I do not have the authority. I am not the Minister and I am not the chief executive of Bus Éireann.