Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I would like to know if additional funding is available for the 34 important and successful rural transport initiatives throughout the country. It is estimated that it has cost approximately €9 million to administer the scheme since it was established in 2002. The scheme, which has improved the health and well-being of its users, has provided considerable social benefits which far outweigh its costs. The rural transport initiative was established by the Department of Transport on a pilot basis to provide transport to people in rural areas who were being excluded because more conventional transport methods and services were not available, accessible or afforded to them locally. By the end of 2003, over 300,000 people had used an estimated 300 routes in the 34 pilot areas throughout the country. The numbers availing of the service have continued to increase.

In most cases, passengers are picked up at their doors and taken to the nearest town for the purpose of collecting their pensions, shopping, medical appointments or social visits. They are returned to their doors several hours later. There has been unprecedented demand for the service. However, that has led to funding shortfalls and providers are now being forced to cut back on several such very valuable services.

The need for the rural transport initiative and the importance of the scheme are highlighted by research carried out by the Department of Transport before the scheme began that showed that 40% of people living in rural Ireland do not have access to even a basic bus or rail service. That is especially true of the western countries from where I hail. Some 20% have never had access to a car for shopping or health checks, and the most affected are the elderly, young people — for getting to and from work — those with illnesses and disabilities and those on low incomes.

An evaluation report published over the summer on the rural transport initiative stated that in most parts of the country it has been very encouraging. In my own area, we have a few projects that have been extremely successful. From May until the end of December 2003 in the Aughrim-Kilmore rural transport area, there were 8,084 passengers. The figure for 2004 so far exceeds 10,000, making it a major success.

The rural transport initiative has been described as the greatest single benefit for rural Ireland since the rural electrification programme of the 1940s. The issue is that the Department of Transport has not opted to mainstream the project, despite the fact that the scheme has been evaluated by outside consultants, who found it very worthwhile. Instead the Government has opted to leave it as a pilot project until 2006.

The scheme was first announced in 2001 and three years on one asks why the Government will not commit to it. The budget allocated to the scheme has not increased from €3 million annually since 2001, which is a cutback given the increased costs. The lack of funding has prevented the scheme from expanding the number and frequency of services required, despite the great demand, especially in rural areas. If it were in an urban area, a subsidy would be provided and it would be unacceptable for there to be cutbacks. It is unacceptable that such cutbacks are occurring and I ask the Minister to redress the problems and provide funding for a very valuable service.