Written answers
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Department of Transport
Rural Transport Services
9:00 am
Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 292: To ask the Minister for Transport and the Marine his proposals, in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government, to enhance and extend the rural transport initiative nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20982/07]
Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government restates the commitment to rural transport that underpins my Department's Rural Transport Programme (RTP) which was launched last February. The new Programme, administered by Pobal, is building on the success of the former Rural Transport Initiative (2000-2006) by putting that pilot initiative on a permanent mainstreamed basis with significantly increased funding with the objectives of expanding existing services and extending the scheme geographically.
Some Euro 9 million has been provided for the Programme in 2007. This is in line with the undertaking in Towards 2016, the Social Partnership Agreement, to steadily increase annual funding for the RTP over a period to some four times the 2005 level of Euro 4.5 million. In support of this undertaking, the National Development Plan 2007-2013, Transforming Ireland, commits some Euro 90 million to the Rural Transport Programme over its full term.
I am satisfied that the individual Rural Transport groups working with Pobal and supported by funding at this level will deliver on the Programme for Government as far as rural transport is concerned.
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