Written answers

Tuesday, 31 May 2005

Department of Transport

Rural Transport Services

9:00 pm

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 320: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will extend the rural transport initiative pilot project to serve Carrickroe, Clara, Ballyoisin, Mullan, Emyvale and Glaslough areas of County Monaghan which are not served by public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18180/05]

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 321: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will extend the rural transport initiative pilot project to serve areas in County Monaghan which are not served by public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18181/05]

Photo of Martin CullenMartin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 320 and 321 together.

My Department is funding the provision of public transport in rural areas through the rural transport initiative, RTI. This is a scheme, operating since 2002, to provide funding on a pilot basis for 34 community organisations to address the particular transport needs of their rural area through the provision of local transport services. It is not proposed to expand the number of RTI projects until the conclusion of the pilot phase at end 2006.

Area Development Management Limited, ADM, administers the RTI on behalf of my Department. ADM and the individual RTI groups are solely responsible for all the operational aspects of the RTI, including the areas to be served, and neither I nor my Department has any role in these matters.

This year I have allocated €4.5 million for the RTI, which is a 50% increase on the allocation for 2004. I have also decided to put the initiative on a permanent financial footing from 2007. In developing proposals for a more permanent RTI, I will pay particular attention to the views of all those involved in the pilot phase of the RTI and to the transport needs of rural communities such as those referred to by the Deputy.

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