Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 150: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has received an application for funding for an extension of the rural transport scheme for north Mayo covering 13 services per week from six rural transport providers; if he has examined this application; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the area involved is 87% rural and has a population of 26,000 persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter regarding approval of the scheme. [9721/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The rural transport initiative, RTI, to which I understand the Deputy refers, is a pilot scheme, under which funding is at present made available to 34 community-based organisations across the country to address the transport needs of their rural areas through the provision of local transport services. The RTI is administered on behalf of my Department by Pobal — formerly Area Development Management Ltd. — which, together with the RTI groups concerned, is responsible for all the operational aspects of the initiative, including the areas to be served. Any applications for extensions to existing schemes are a matter for Pobal, and my Department has no role in these matters.

The pilot period for the RTI comes to a close at the end of 2006, and I announced last year that I intend to put the RTI on a permanent footing from 2007 onwards. Proposals for the rollout of the RTI from 2007 onwards are currently in preparation and, in due course, will form the basis for a public consultation process. In developing proposals for the post-2006 period, I will pay particular attention to the needs of rural communities that do not currently have access to public transport.