Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State for coming to take this matter. I am standing here today to highlight the growing demand for TFI Local Link bus services in County Donegal, particularly in the villages of Ardara, Glenties and Portnoo and other areas like the Doorin Line in Mountcharles and Lough Eske by Lough Eske Castle.

The current action plan expires at the end of 2025, and I hope a new action plan will include improved services for the area of Glenties, Portnoo and Ardara. That route is No. 994. I also hope a plan will be put in place for the Doorin Line in Mountcharles, Lough Eske and Donegal town.

Usage has reached record levels, with over 100,000 journeys being done weekly across rural Ireland. This demonstrates the essential service that Local Link provides rural communities. Currently, Ardara has one departure each day, scheduled before noon. In contrast, the Glencolumbkille route has five daily services, with additional options at the weekend, which is brilliant. I could not highlight this service enough. The people are so happy with the service they are getting and it should be the template for moving forward with this service in Donegal. Everybody I talk to, from Malin Beg to Donegal town, is so thankful for this service. I wanted to say that because sometimes things get a bad doing but this is one we are extremely proud of.

There would be an immense benefit for Ardara and Portnoo if we could link the Ardara-Glenties-Portnoo service to Donegal town. It would enhance the travel for people going to Dublin for health reasons, such as hospital visits, or to the airport if we could get everything channelled through Donegal town. Such a service would provide greater accessibility for the communities, allowing residents to travel conveniently throughout the day.

The Local Link service has significant benefits for rural communities by improving accessibility, reducing social isolation and enhancing mobility for residents. These are often a lifeline for areas with limited public transport options allowing people to access employment, education, healthcare and essential service. We have a great service there and we need to enhance it.

There are wee pockets in Donegal that are left behind. I wish we could get these wee pockets a service. It is going very well; we just need to enhance it.