Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I appreciate her taking the time. The history here is that before our more modern bus services in our urban centres, including in Waterford city, in towns like Sligo, we had an imp bus service, which comprised small buses that covered all the areas. We were lucky to have had this in Sligo and it gave quite a full service to the people in urban areas. Unfortunately, with its abolition and replacement with a more modern service, it left several gaps, in particular, the whole west area of Sligo town. One particular group, the Merville Maugheraboy active retirement association, spearheaded the search for a replacement service and it was joined by all the councillors on Sligo County Council and the four the Deputies. An approach was made to the National Transport Authority, NTA, and meetings were held directly with the councillors of Sligo County Council and, indeed, the four Deputies. I must praise the NTA because it designed an appropriate route, which it proposes to call the S3 and which will provide adequate services for part of the urban area in which many elderly people, people without the benefit of a car, people without the resources to access other forms of public transport, such as taxis, and people who may need access to hospitals, to the Institute of Technology Sligo, soon to be a technological university, and to St. Angela's College, live. For that reason, it has designed an appropriate service for us, the S3.

It is about a year or so since we pulled this plan together and, again, I praise the NTA. However, what is missing is the funding to facilitate it. It is not a huge amount of money; presumably, we are talking about a bus and a number of drivers and whatever support staff are needed to run this service. This Government and, in particular, the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Green Party, are very much focused on the promotion of sustainable transport methods. The rising cost of fuel and other items have been highlighted in other debates here and show that we need to prioritise the provision of such schemes.

This is far from a metro north, an extension to the DART or the procurement of 600 new rail carriages. We are not reinventing the wheel. What I would love to hear from the Minister of State, on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is that the cheque is on its way to Ms Graham in the NTA and that the new bus will commence on particular date. I look forward to hearing from the Minister of State.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this topic, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Ryan. From the outset, I would like to note that the Department of Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, it is not involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. It is the NTA, as the Deputy knows, that has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the allocation of associated funding to the relevant transport operators.

That being said, in budget 2022, the Department of Transport secured €538 million of funding for public service obligation and LocalLink services provided by State operators and under contract by the NTA this year. This includes more than €200 million of Covid-19 emergency funding in 2022 to counter the continuing impacts of the pandemic on fare revenue across transport operators.

Out of this significant budget for public transport services, the Department of Transport has allocated €5.6 million of funding to the NTA to begin investing in the new Connecting Ireland plan. This plan is designed to increase travel connectivity across rural Ireland with the aim to provide better connections between villages and towns by linking these with an enhanced public transport network, which also connects to cities and regional centres nationwide.

Connecting Ireland will significantly increase both the number of routes and the frequency of existing services across the country, including in Sligo. As a result of Connecting Ireland, hundreds of rural villages and areas will, for the first time, be served by a viable public transport link. It is proposed that there will be an overall increase of approximately 25% in rural bus service as part of a five-year plan to enhance existing services, adding new bus routes and new services, in addition to expanding the demand responsive local bus network.

Accordingly, it will build on both the TFI Local Link network and on the rural regular public transport network.

The Department also secured almost €1 million for the development and implementation of new town bus services in 2022, as well as allocating €25 million to the introduction of a young adult card. This card will enable any person aged between 19 and 23 years old to avail of an average fare discount of 50% across all public transport services, including city, intercity and rural services. This will benefit many young people living in the west.

As the Deputy will be aware, the NTA is actively engaging with Sligo County Council officials on the development of proposals and the assessment of options to build on the success of the existing Sligo town bus service. This process includes an examination of possibilities to improve the current S1 route to ensure full co-ordination between bus services and between bus and rail services at the Sligo bus and train stations in light of the fact that the existing S1 service does not currently serve these stations. The NTA has advised that the close proximity of the bus and train stations presents an opportunity to integrate the existing Sligo town bus service with regional and national bus and rail services. Aligning services is fundamental to the goal of connecting people across Ireland in an accessible and sustainable manner.

The service planning section of the NTA has been reviewing the efficacy of the town bus service in Sligo. It has identified demands for transport within the town of Sligo and concluded that there could be unmet public transport demand between Finisklin Business Park, Maugheraboy, Sligo bus and train stations, Sligo town centre and Manorhamilton Road. The NTA is currently finalising plans and drawing up a detailed service specification for a new S3 route which would serve Finisklin Business Park, Maugheraboy, Sligo bus and train station, Sligo town centre and Manorhamilton Road. The NTA is currently engaged with stakeholders to identify suitable bus stop locations. I want to assure the Deputy, on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, that this work is underway.

Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for that response, the last paragraph of which was the most important. The rest was a good promotion for Government policy, as normal, which I understand but really a timeframe on this is what is required. While I appreciate that this is not the Minister of State's direct departmental responsibility, I ask her to engage with the Minister of Transport on it. I ask her to urge the Minister to tell the NTA to refocus its efforts in terms of timing and facilitation. The Minister of State seemed to indicate that money was made available in budget 2022 for the funding of the S3 and routes like it throughout the country. The people of the areas the Minister of State highlighted, from Finisklin Business Park through Maugheraboy and the other areas of the town currently not served, are well overdue to be catered for. It was my understanding that the bus stop locations were already determined and secured and that all that was needed at this point was pounds, shillings and pence to engage in the procurement of a bus, the recruitment of additional drivers if necessary and the commencement of the service. I ask the Minister of State to relay my concerns to the Minister for Transport and I look forward to getting an update from him.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy and advise him further that the review of the Sligo town bus service is not looking at specific routes in isolation. Rather, the NTA is working to develop a bus network in Sligo town which can better serve the multiple needs of people who wish to use public transport there. For example, the NTA is examining the potential of a corridor in which the existing S1 and S2 routes and the propose new S3 route might integrate to offer people a higher frequency of service where demand merits it.

I wish to reassure Deputy MacSharry that the NTA is continuing to progress the development of bus services in Sligo town and hopes to complete the work now underway, including the preparation of costings, early this year. I trust this clarifies the position with regard to the third Sligo town bus route. Out of a significant budget for public transport, the Department has allocated €5.6 million in funding for the NTA to begin investing in the new Connecting Ireland plan. I will pass on the Deputy's concerns to the Minister, including the fact that the nub of the issue is funding.