Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an díospóireacht seo agus gabhaim buíochas den Aire as a bheith linn. Go minic, nuair atá ceist fá seirbhís nó fá airgead, ní bhíonn deis againn labhairt faoi sula ndéantar an cinneadh. Molaim an tAire as teacht anseo roimh an chinneadh agus deis a thabhairt dúinn pointí a ardú ar an ábhar.

I thank the Minister for coming before the House to discuss the night-time rural transport service. The current scheme is a pilot project, which has been in place since 2007 and which has been extremely successful in the seven areas to which it relates. The Minister's Department has provided funding of approximately €950,000 for the scheme since its inception. The scheme has proved extremely beneficial to those who live in rural areas. I also wish to thank the Minister for establishing the scheme and for developing the methodology relating to it. The Minister worked with the Department of Transport to extend the services available under the rural transport initiative into the evening hours.

From the press release issued by the Minister in 2007, it is abundantly clear that this is a pilot project. As a result of the success of that pilot project, we are seeking that it should be extended to other areas. This is a testament to the vision displayed in establishing the service. At the weekend I received numerous calls from people in south-west Donegal, where I reside and where Síob Teoranta is responsible for providing night-time transport in rural and Gaeltacht areas. They all stated that I should talk to the Minister about the matter and ensure that the scheme is retained. These individuals indicated they are delighted with the scheme and that it has been hugely successful. I was informed by certain people that they can go out on a Tuesday evening to play cards. They could go to bingo on a Monday night or the pub on a Saturday night and be collected and brought home safely. Obviously, there is a monetary issue in terms of the financial cost to the State in providing the service. We are living in difficult economic times. Regardless of whether a family is running a house or the Government is running the country, economies of scale will apply.

Over the last few years, particularly under the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, rural Ireland has been transformed through schemes such as the CLÁR programme, the rural social scheme, the community services programme as well as the funding programme for sports clubs and community organisations, new halls or facilities for young or old, and the national rural development programme, under which there is some €27 million available next year for rural Ireland. Rural Ireland is benefiting from the Government's expenditure.

We are all united in the House in trying to extend the benefits of this particular programme into the future. It will not be easy to do this in the current economic climate, but I know the Minister met with the groups recently. Those groups I have spoken to have expressed satisfaction at that meeting and I hope the meeting with Pobal will prove to be beneficial. However, I stress that the service must be kept in place if at all possible. This service is crucial in preventing rural isolation. The scheme has many advantages, as we have seen. Rural people are benefiting from it. It is giving people who would have traditionally been isolated in terms of getting out and about the opportunity to meet people and I hope we can keep the scheme in place.

Some of those who spoke to me over the weekend have availed of the scheme and were able to play cards, attend bingo, go to community meetings and sporting events etc. It was bringing the community together. They were visiting the local pub, playing cards there, chatting to people and going home safely. The scheme is supporting local business as well.

I strongly support all my colleagues as regards the positive aspects of the scheme. We need to find a mechanism to keep this service in place. I also agree with the sentiments expressed about Bus Éireann, which has questions to answer. It may be losing €500,000 a week, and this will affect many routes in Donegal and in other counties. This is a matter for the Department of Transport and not for the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. However, we are all behind the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív. If he can find a way, we will support him 100%.