Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

Fáiltím roimh an Aire Stáit agus gabhaim comhghairdeas léi as a ceapachán mar Aire Stáit. I second the motion tabled by my colleague, Senator Buttimer, and in so doing congratulate him on his grasp of the issues in rural Ireland and the passion he displays for them. This is reflected in the motion, its considered nature and his exposition of the issues dealt with therein.

In 2005 I stood as a local election candidate in County Cavan. In contrast to candidates in national or European elections or participants in referendum campaigns, local election candidates visit houses in a thorough fashion and canvass virtually every house in a given catchment area. During such a canvas one gains a detailed knowledge of the community and how matters stand. The process is highly detailed and there is a focus on individuals and houses. If one misses people, one returns and so on. I need not explain this process to Members. However, after that election, I remember attending a local authority meeting at which I listed what I had learned during the campaign about what was needed in rural Ireland.

My distinguished colleague opposite, Senator Ó Murchú, also has a well tuned awareness of such issues. He will agree that the shocking discovery one makes when one travels through rural Ireland in a focused, detailed and slow way concerns the level of isolation one encounters. I refer to those who live in real isolation, are very lonely and whose only companions are radio and television sets. Such persons have minimal human contact, like the gentleman Senator Buttimer mentioned who had not spoken to another human being between attending mass on a Sunday and the following Tuesday. In many cases the position is even worse. One discovers this isolation and notes the importance to the people concerned of Irish music, culture, song and so on that can be heard on the radio. Members can discuss this point on another occasion. However, a number of people in rural Ireland live in isolation.

Without entering into a discussion on the merits or otherwise of what constitutes an appropriate level, the changes in breathalyser regulations, rightly or wrongly and no matter how one evaluates them, also have had a great impact in this regard. Moreover, people in rural Ireland have difficulty in leaving their local area to visit town or even to go to church or get out to meet others. Some live alone and it is very difficult for them to so do. The CSO figures cited by Senator Buttimer which were included in the wording of the motion substantiate this point.

An economist, a sociologist or someone who comments on such matters might argue that the car population has increased greatly in rural Ireland. Moreover, it might be argued that a number of bus companies are now operating. However, while it is the case that the car population has increased and that, theoretically, there may be a number of competing bus companies etc., the reality is that a great number of those people who are the subject of this debate are unable to access cars. In some instances, they may be unable to drive. This frequently is the case. In other instances, although a family might own a car or two, they are used by younger members to go to work. Alternatively, there may be an abusive dimension to the family relationship, whereby the older people or disabled persons are ignored and left to fend for themselves, are not properly looked after and not given access to the car. While there are many ideal and happy situations, this is not what is being addressed. Consequently, it is important for Members to realise that the availability of cars or improved roadways does not necessarily solve the problem.

I met representatives of the Rural Transport Network at the special awareness day event it held in County Cavan. I presume this was replicated all over the country. I spent time on each of the buses and met the people there. There was a variety of people on them, including those who lived alone, those who could not drive, those who had some form of disability and those who had indifferent relations who were not bothered whether the people could travel. They needed the service and I could see the rural transport scheme meant so much to the quality of life of the service users. It is life altering to those people.

Although it is difficult to quantify this, it must save a considerable amount of money in the health service and in institutional care because it gives people dignity, quality of life and self-esteem that allows them to live in the circumstances they are in. This allows them to avoid institutional care and a higher level of dependency on the health services. It greatly improves quality of life because they can meet up with people, go to town and experience warmth, friendship and interaction with other human beings. This is what we all desire.

The great exhortation in our Constitution and the Proclamation of 1916 is to cherish all the children of the nation equally. These people must be cherished to the degree that every other citizen is cherished. They have the same rights and issues as others and have the same constitutional right to the equality of access to travel, shopping, meeting other human beings and quality of life.

It will resonate with the Minister of State that this is a women's issue. It is an issue for many rural women. I noticed this when I met people on the buses, which comprised two thirds women. When I was a Member of a previous Seanad, I was a member of the committee on women's rights and I raised this matter. The scheme did not exist at the time but I constantly raised the issue. Access and the potential for travel for rural women was a real issue and this scheme has addressed that matter.

I recognise that the proposals of an bord snip nua are merely proposals. I join Senator Buttimer in his call for an unequivocal statement from the Minister of State and a commitment to the continuation of the rural transport scheme. It is a good scheme that stands on its merits. I appeal to the Minister of State to flatter the Seanad, as the Upper House of Parliament, by stating that the scheme will continue, that it is meritorious and that it is not up for bargaining. There are certain core issues. I always try to say on the Order of Business that we cannot solve the problems of the past and the years of waste and ineptitude on the backs of the weak, the disabled, the isolated, the lonely or the needy. These vulnerable people cannot become our way of dealing with this. It is easy to target these people because they do not have a great voice, they are not fit to have great marches outside the Dáil and they are not fit to have the press and a battery of public relations people presenting their case through multimedia outlets. Many people I met are not fit to hold marches on O'Connell Street but that makes the case all the more meritorious.

The scheme costs €11 million per year and its return is enormous. I commend the scheme to the Minister of State. I am not being glib because Senator Buttimer is correct. These people must be put at ease and a statement from the Government on this issue will not compromise the Government's ambition to save the requisite €4 billion. The Government could state that it will save what it must but will not do so at the expense of the rural transport scheme, which is vital to rural Ireland. The Minister of State must give us that commitment today. I appeal to Senator Ó Murchú to commit to the same principle in his address. We must protect this scheme and state that it is not up for grabs. Fiscal rectitude cannot be built on the backs of people I met on the buses during the transport open day.