Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 101: To ask the Minister for Transport the funding allocated to the rural transport initiative in each of the past three years; his plans to expand the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33505/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provided €5.1 million for the pilot Rural Transport Initiative in 2006, €9.0 million for the Rural Transport Programme in 2007 and will provide €10m for 2008.

Pobal, which administers the RTP on behalf of my Department, is developing the Programme on a phased basis in consultation with individual RTP groups, with a goal of achieving nation-wide coverage in due course in line with Government policy. It is planned that by end-2008, RTP groups will be operational in every county and will be working towards maximising coverage in their operational areas. For 2009, funding of €11m is available.

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 102: To ask the Minister for Transport the progress made on the promise in the programme for Government to plan and deliver strategies for the future development of integrated public transport, in co-operation with the relevant local authorities, by conducting integrated transport and land use plans in the spatial strategy hubs immediately taking into account both current and future needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39932/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The commitment to plan and deliver strategies for the future development of integrated public transport in cooperation with the relevant local authorities included two provisions — the preparation of integrated transport and land use plans for the NSS Hubs and the completion of feasibility studies into light rail transit (LRT) systems for Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. As regards these latter studies, I have asked that they also take into consideration the feasibility of bus rapid transit (BRT).

The local authorities are making good progress on the light rail/bus rapid transit studies. The Cork study is nearing completion and consultants will be appointed shortly to carry out the other studies. My Department has had preliminary consultations with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and with the City and County Managers Association about the preparation of integrated transport and land use plans for the NSS Hubs and also for those NSS Gateways, which currently do not have land use and transport strategies in place. The proposed Sustainable Travel and Transport Action Plan will include provisions in relation to the alignment of spatial planning and transport planning and will provide a policy context within which to proceed with the preparation of land use and transport strategies for the Hubs and for the remaining Gateways.