Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is nothing like a transport issue affecting healthcare and disability matters as we head into Christmas. I thank the Senator for raising this matter, which he has raised and advocated for on numerous occasions. I have been provided with a script but I am better without one for this matter.

It is the case that CHO 1 charges. That charging mechanism was introduced to ensure all people in CHO 1 could have access to services. That service is being provided but we are now facing a cost-of-living crisis. As the Senator quite rightly said, the cost to individuals is almost €1,000. That has been shown to be an inequality. In other parts of the country, we provide transport for people to attend day services without any charge. The Senator is right that I took up the chairmanship of the transport committee and met all stakeholders and Departments around the issue. We discussed ad nauseamthe open routes model that has been piloted in Leitrim and which has been incredibly successful.

Officials from the Department of Health will be meeting officials from the Department of Transport in the new year to discuss the potential around expanding the open routes project to other areas, including other areas in CHO 1. Routes may move from closed routes to open routes, which will mean there will be no charge for the people who need to access services.

The Senator and I live in the real world. He knows how long that will take to get over the line. However, that is the direction of travel. There is an inequality but a fantastic model has been developed in Leitrim and it can be extended. I have met with the operators of fantastic Local Link services in CHO 1. I see how well that is working in Donegal and Sligo. The system is working very well. At the same time, some people in those areas are being charged almost €1,000 per year while people in Galway are not being charged a single euro. That is inequality and with my functions due to transfer to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, which was approved at Cabinet yesterday, I will find it difficult to charge people with a disability to use bus services while others are not being charged. It is my ambition, working with my adviser, that from January onwards, the open route system will be expanded and services will be brought to the people of CHO 1 on the same basis that services are brought to all others.

It is also important to say that the Department of Health spends in excess of €50 million per year on transport and yet it states it spends no money on transport. Some 90% of the cost of the route in CHO 1 is being provided. Only that 10% shortfall remains. It is incumbent on the Government, the Department of Transport and the providers to respond. The HSE is the main provider. It is not as if we have other providers in CHO 1. The HSE is the provider. It is incumbent on me, as a Minister of State, to ensure funding is found in the next round of budget allocations to ensure that the service can be optimised and that the service users are fully supported, no different from those in other parts of the country. We first need to find that extra 10%. The second piece is to expand the open routes model. The Department of Transport also has a role to play. The same situation should pertain in Donegal and in Wexford. There is a considerable issue in respect of transport in Wexford. We need to ensure that all disability service users have the right and option to access services without a charge and without the fear of losing that service. The service must be regular and consistent. I look forward to working with the Senator in that regard.