Francis O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran. This is my first opportunity since he became Minister of congratulating him publicly. The Minister of State is no stranger to this House. He served as a Member of this House and I wish him well in his portfolio.

If I may be parochial, Latton is a very rural area. It was the location of one of the first pilot rural transport schemes and it has grown through the counties of Monaghan and Cavan. The Monaghan-Cavan rural transport scheme is now one of the best in the country. I do not take credit for that. The credit is due to the people who run it, those who promoted it and the people who use it.

I listened to the debate on the monitor and as previous speakers said, this service provides so many people with a social life who would not be involved in such social activities. They are picked up by the bus at their homes or convenient places near their homes and are returned to their homes. They are brought to the different centres in the towns and the services available to them yet the McCarthy report has suggested this scheme be terminated. We do not want to see this service terminated. It would be dishonest to take that service from so many vulnerable people who look forward to the bus picking them up perhaps twice a week. The people who run the system in Cavan and Monaghan are contacting public representatives. Five Oireachtas Members from Cavan-Monaghan held meetings with the operators and they were very well attended. The operators are saying to us the scheme could be broadened to take in certain parts of the educational system and to facilitate centres such as nursing homes. Instead of having the rural transport system taken away from us, it could be enhanced. The amount of money required to run the scheme, €11 million, is very small. I am told that if the allocation were cut by a little, the scheme could still be run very efficiently.

It is not often that I come in to speak at the 11th hour. However, given that the debate was so good and that I know so much about the rural transport scheme in my area, I wanted to say a few words. I appeal to the Government and all concerned not to abolish the scheme but to enhance and broaden it.