Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 588: To ask the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a recent CSO survey shows that 50% of rural households reported difficulty in accessing public transport and were consistently more likely to experience difficulties accessing basic services such as banking, groceries, post office and GP services; if the rural transport scheme operation under his Department at a relatively small cost to the taxpayer will continue to operate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34016/09]

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 594: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will ensure that the rural transport scheme is not abolished in view of the social and economic value this scheme has for people living in rural areas without public transport; his views on restructuring the scheme and introducing a fee for people who avail of the scheme to make it more sustainable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33044/09]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 596: To ask the Minister for Transport his proposals on the rural transport scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33125/09]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 602: To ask the Minister for Transport his plans to extend a programme (details supplied); if the programme will be expanded; and the projected budget for this programme for 2010. [33364/09]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 603: To ask the Minister for Transport the funding provided for a programme (details supplied) on a county basis, for each of the past five years and to date in 2009. [33365/09]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 604: To ask the Minister for Transport the estimated number of service users, on a county basis of a programme (details supplied) to date in 2009. [33366/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 588, 594, 596, 602, 603, and 604 together.

There are commitments to the Rural Transport Programme (RTP) in the National Development Plan, Towards 2016 and the Department of Transport's sectoral plan under the Disability Act 2005. The Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes recommended the abolition of the RTP. The Government will consider the Group's recommendations as part of its preparations for Budget 2010. The Government has also referred the Group's report to the Oireachtas Committee on Finance and General Affairs for consideration prior to the Budget.

Separate to and before receipt of the report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, my Department had already decided that a Value for Money Review would be undertaken on the RTP in 2010. Subject to the outcome of the deliberations and decisions referred to earlier, it is the intention to proceed with the review next year and all relevant matters relating to the operation of the Programme will be examined. This will include, as suggested by the Deputy, consideration of increased passenger revenue as, in appropriate circumstances, it is already the practice for passengers to make a personal contribution towards the cost of services.

It is important that all the State resources devoted to rural transport generally are utilised as cost-effectively as possible and in that context a number of initiatives are currently under way to explore the potential for improved synergies between existing transport providers (namely, the Health Service Executive for health transport, Department of Education and Science for school transport, Bus Éireann for conventional public transport and Pobal for RTP services). These initiatives involve pilot transport projects in the North East and North West, an exercise to map all transport services in County Louth and a cross-border pilot rural community transport project under the auspices of the British-Irish Council. The outcome of these initiatives will feed into the continuing development of rural transport.

It is not possible to give a breakdown of the number of service users or funding provided under the RTP on a county by county basis as some of the community transport groups funded under the Programme operate across county boundaries. However, the following table provides data on a global basis for the Programme for the years since it was launched in February 2007: