Lisa McDonald (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I wish to speak to this motion on the rural transport programme, which was introduced by the Government in 2001 and has developed from a pilot project carrying 151,000 passengers to a scheme that carried 1.2 million people in 2008, as stated by Senator Cannon.

The scheme was introduced mainly to address the problem of isolation in rural society. It is noteworthy that President McAleese has put together a committee on rural isolation and brought GAA clubs and various rural clubs together to determine how to address the problem further. It must be acknowledged that organisations like the GAA, the Irish Countrywomens Association and so on have played a significant role in providing rural dwellers with something to do.

We have faced this problem previously in the context of rural post offices and the question of whether a school is required every five miles or whether a county hospital is necessary. At a recent meeting I attended in Wexford on the future of our hospital, it was suggested that maternity services were not required for a population of 100,000 people. Given Ireland's strong rural society, such claims will not work in any shape or form and I would be reticent to support them.

Where rural transport is concerned, we are discussing the same issue of isolation. Some people do not even have footpaths on which to walk from their houses to the local pub. The rural transport scheme has provided those people with a means to visit their local towns, shop one or two days every week, meet friends, go for coffee and so on. The scheme's value cannot be understood except in terms of loneliness and isolation, which is what we must consider when making any decision on its future. Nothing deprives someone more than making him or her lonelier. Every Senator knows someone, such as an uncle or aunt who never married or does not have immediate family, who can no longer go to the local pub for a couple of pints. We are discussing making that person's situation more stringent.

When the issues of rural living and the fabric of rural society were raised last year, I suggested to the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, that he should consider using the rural transport initiative as a means to bring people to and from local pubs at weekends. This area of the scheme could be expanded in time. While I am not suggesting that we do this immediately, we are discussing saving a scheme that was introduced due to foresight.

Since money has already been spent on the buses and so on, the moneys that could be saved by cutting the scheme would not benefit society. When an bord snip sought ways to cut expenditure, it was considering the economy. As politicians, we must consider society. It is easy to view something through accounting or forensically and to cut X, Y and Z. However, cutting this scheme would eliminate a source of enjoyment and a lifeline for those who are isolated. They could end up in hospital or suffer mental health issues because they do not have the necessary connectivity with society. The cost of this would be immeasurable.

The scheme is great and we have all spoken with those who have written to our constituency offices in recent months seeking support. I support the scheme's retention. Although the McCarthy report put it on the table, I hope there will be no political will to worsen people's situations. We have mentioned splendid isolation, but the isolation that would result from this scheme being cut would be anything but splendid. Unfortunately, the issue has worried many people. A scheme that allows people to experience a bit of joy and excitement should be kept. If we cannot look after such people, we would be unmindful to seek those savings.

We must acknowledge that Government policy is to retain the scheme, as stated in the rural transport programme. We are in changing times, but the Minister can tell from today's debate that there is cross-party support for the scheme's retention. We all acknowledge how much it has given to the fabric of our unique rural society. Those of us who come from rural constituencies must acknowledge it.