Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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There was an understanding in the previous Dáil that the Minister would come in and, if the Minister was not available, the Deputy would have the option of deferring the matter until the Minister was available to come into the House. No such option was afforded to me. We are back to the bad old days. Bad habits die hard in this House. The Acting Chairman has been here much longer than I am and he knows as well as I do that one brings and progresses something but the minute one's back is turned, it regresses to the old system.

I raised this issue immediately after the announcement that bus and rail fares were to be reduced by 20% on the mainland. When I raised it with the Minister, I was given a number of reasons why it could not happen. I pursued the matter in our parliamentary party with the Taoiseach and spoke to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, who had no problem funding any change. After that, I was told the matter was referred to the Attorney General.

What was the big problem on the islands? I was told it was that there are private companies providing services to the islands and that that was not the case with bus and train services. That is not true. For example, Expressway does not benefit from the 20%, nor do the many other private companies providing regular bus services. On the other hand, as I told the Minister the first day, there is a unique arrangement on the islands because there are contracted services put out to public tender. In putting them out to public tender, there is a unique islander rate. If an islander goes on the contracted service, he or she does not pay the commercial fare but a rate predetermined by the Department. I introduced that process. I remember setting the adult return fee at €8, no matter what boat service was taken or how far out into the sea it went. That was the maximum. It was €5 for students and youth and nothing for those under five years of age. That was raised to €10. This is unique. If you go on the private operator that operates commercially, there is no obligation on that operator to provide that service. That is the rate we want reduced. We do not want to touch the commercial rates, which are a matter for the operator. As I remember, the operator stated the commercial rate and set the rate, whereas the islander rate was set by the Department. I had hoped that in the intervening weeks, the Department would have looked at the issue instead of giving the push-off.

The other thing those in the Department seem to think extraordinary is that this is for buses and trains and I am looking to apply it to an air service to the Aran Islands and a boat service. I was on Inis Mór today at a funeral and there is not much point in offering a train service from that island to the mainland. We do not have underwater rail. Nor is a bus service practical. I do not think the mode of transport makes much difference. I ask for this issue to be dealt with and for the islander-only unique fares to be reduced by 20% forthwith. The year is going on, the scheme has been in place for nearly two months and we have no movement on it.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. The sustainability of communities on our offshore islands is a core objective of the Government as set out in the rural development policy for 2021 to 2025, Our Rural Future. The policy acknowledges the importance to island communities of access to reliable, safe and affordable connectivity services to and from the mainland. Contracts for these services are procured by the Department of Rural and Community Development on the open market through the procurement process. This ensures all providers are treated equally and the selection process is fair and transparent for all.

The Department of Transport recently introduced a fare reduction scheme that sees an average 20% reduction on PSO public transport services managed by the National Transport Authority. The scheme covers public transport services operated by Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, Luas, Go-Ahead Ireland and TFI Local Link. It is important to note that other subsidised transport services managed by the Department of Transport, such as the PSO air service to Donegal and Kerry, are not covered by the scheme. Similarly, the subsidised transport services managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development to the offshore islands do not qualify for the scheme. Unlike the services managed by the NTA, offshore islands have a mix of subsidised and non-subsidised transport services. While the Department is open to examining ways of ensuring island transport services are affordable, it is concerned that the introduction of a fare reduction scheme for subsidised services could bring the existing contracts and procurement processes into disrepute. All of the contracted air, ferry and cargo services managed by the Department are procured in an open and fair procedure. Providing a fare reduction scheme for chosen suppliers could have the potential to undermine those procedures and may lead to reduced services to the islands, particularly with regard to non-subsidised services and other private operators who may be placed at a disadvantage. The Minister has sought advice from the Attorney General on the matter and officials continue to engage thereon.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State is a very fair and, more important, highly intelligent man. I am sure he was embarrassed reading that out. The red herring of the PSO Donegal and Kerry services can be put aside because there are buses going to Donegal and buses and trains going to Kerry, right to the airport in the case of Kerry. It does not quite work that way when you are trying to get to an island.

The Minister of State stated that the subsidised transport services managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development to the offshore islands do not qualify for the scheme. We know that. That is why I am standing here. However, the Minister of State did not give the reason, other than that the Minister will not do it. The Minister of State then said if the €10 standard fare for islanders to €8, it would bring the scheme into disrepute. When I was Minister, I did exactly that. It used to be much higher and variable. I set the rate and, rather than being in disrepute on the island, I think I was held in high esteem. The Minister of State then made the point that if the small number of islanders, relative to the number of tourists and other people who go to the island, got this small reduction, it would undermine the commercial non-contracted services. The Minister of State must have cringed reading that out because if you have a guaranteed €10 fare and the normal tourist fare is €20, why would you take the transport for €20 when it is available in the contracted service at the predetermined rate?

Furthermore, I ask the Minister of State to name all the islands that have private services running in parallel with the services contracted by the Department. I have a fair knowledge of the islands. There may be one or two with such private services but they are few and far between. If he does not have the answers tonight, I ask him to go back to the Department and the Minister and request that they address this issue in a written reply.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I certainly hear the Deputy's cogent and well thought-out points and I will bring them to the attention of the Minister who, unfortunately, cannot be here. On the PSO routes managed by the NTA, the Department of Rural and Community Development does not subsidise all services and all routes, as has been stated, and careful consideration, therefore, must be given to any change that could substantially alter the contracts or put private operators at a disadvantage. I have certainly heard what the Deputy has to say and I will bring his concerns to the attention of the Minister.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate that. I thank the Minister of State for cutting his reply short. It would have been a further embarrassment if he did not do so.