Ciarán Cannon (Fine Gael)

It should be a matter of not removing a service of value to the people of rural Ireland.

I will conclude with the words spoken by the Leader two weeks ago, when he stated: "Under no circumstances will we stand by and allow rural transport services to be taken away for the sake of €11 million". Many of us have received handwritten letters from the self same elderly people asking us to campaign and fight on their behalf to ensure that the scheme is not axed. Tomorrow morning, they could all be put at ease and their concerns erased were the Minister for Finance or the Taoiseach to express how much the Government values the service and recognises its impact. Out of a mark of respect for the elderly, the Minister or Taoiseach could assure them that the scheme would not be included in the proposed cutbacks of the coming months or years.