Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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61. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the year-on-year timeline for the delivery of the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan; the budget that he intends to provide in each year to deliver this plan; the routes that will be commenced in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30745/22]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I want to ask the Minister of State the year-on-year timeline for the delivery of the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan, the budget she intends to provide in each year to deliver this plan, the routes which will be commenced in 2022 and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The overarching aim of the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan is to develop an accessible, integrated and sustainable network of public transport services in rural and regional areas nationwide. In budget 2022, I was delighted to secure an allocation of €5.6 million to progress, develop and begin delivery of this important plan. To keep this momentum going, I will be working closely with my colleagues in Government to secure funding for the continued rollout of Connecting Ireland over its five-year implementation period, which started earlier this year.

Regarding the timeline, the delivery and improvement of routes identified through the consultation process on the Connecting Ireland plan are being prioritised to areas where Ukrainians fleeing the war in their homeland have been housed. Additional public transport services are being made available through an acceleration of network improvements, which include the provision of additional stops, route modifications and delivering more services with the aim of increasing connectivity. These services will ensure better access for all those housed in rural communities. Areas such as the Ring of Kerry will avail of such improvements, in practice catering for existing demands as well as responding to the increased pressures on services where the local population has grown in response to the humanitarian crisis.

I understand the services will be mainly provided by a mixture of Transport for Ireland Local Link and Bus Éireann services. Other examples of service accelerations already in place include those between the towns of Ennis and Ballyvaughan, Tullamore and Banagher, Ashbourne and Balbriggan and the Cavan-Monaghan area. I am advised that the NTA is currently in the procurement, planning and design stage for up to 40 enhanced services nationwide this year, with five aimed specifically at emergency transport provision. All going well, many of these services are anticipated to be operational by the end of the summer.

On the business case for Connecting Ireland, the final part of the Deputy's question, which includes provisional cost estimates, is currently under review in my Department. We are working hard to bring this ambitious plan to Government for its consideration as soon as possible.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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This is an ambitious plan. We have submitted questions on the opportunities to expand on it. I understand there are 23 settlements with populations above 300 that have been excluded from the plan; all of the rest have been included and are promised a service three times daily, which would be a significant improvement. There are opportunities to expand the scheme, and that is something my party is trying to tease out.

The bigger issue is the implementation of the plan. The €5.6 million allocation this year is 10% of the total. The NTA stated in a response to me that it does not have a multi-year allocation and does not know how much it will be allocated in years two, three, four and five of the plan. That has a significant impact in terms of planning. Does the Minister of State have more detail on that? The provision this year is 10%. Will there be another 10% or 15% next year? I would appreciate if the Minister of State could provide an indication on that.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The business case for Connecting Ireland is still under scrutiny within the Department. It will then have to be sent to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for its review. After that process, the business case then has to go to Government for approval due to the scale of the investment envisaged, which is very ambitious. It would be premature to discuss the possible cost of delivering Connecting Ireland until the business case is fully examined.

Connecting Ireland proposes to expand the public transport network in rural areas. There will be a 25% overall increase in rural bus services and 70% of people in rural Ireland will have access to public transport services that provide at least three return trips daily to a nearby town. More than 100 rural villages will benefit from frequent public transport services for the first time. There will be more than 60 new connections to regional cities from surrounding areas and improved mobility options for those in remote areas with the provision of demand responsive and other innovative transport services.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister of State mentioned a number of places. Does she have the figures on how many routes are now up and running? I welcome the services and understand the prioritisation of routes where there is demand from incoming Ukrainian refugees.

Of the 40 routes at design stage, does the Minister of State have an indication - I will be parochial about this - as to where in County Meath they are? I have a particular interest in one route, namely, route 163 in the consultation, which is to run between Athboy and Drogheda via Navan, Kentstown and Donore. Does the Minister of State have any details in that regard?

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Examples of upcoming Connecting Ireland routes include: the 978 from Belmullet to Castlebar, supported by Local Link Mayo; the 880 from Naas to Carlow, involving timetable changes; the 183 from Arklow to Sallins, supported by Local Link Carlow Kilkenny Wicklow; the 419A from Clifden to Roundstone to Casla, supported by Local Link Galway; the 419B, serving Carrowroe, Ballinrobe and Claremorris, supported by Local Link Galway; the A79 from Ballinasloe to Castlerea, via Moylough; the A33 from Newbridge to Naas, via Allenwood; the A30 from Birr to Portlaoise; the B17 from Tarbert to Croom; the one the Deputy asked about, namely, the 163 from Athboy to Drogheda via Navan and Duleek, supported by Local Link Louth Meath Fingal; the 368 from Enniscorthy to New Ross; and the 369, serving Tullow, Bunclody and Enniscorthy. Those routes are under procurement, and the date I have here is around 15 August 2022.