Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 201: To ask the Minister for Transport the position in relation to the rural transport programme; the number of projects operating; the plans to expand these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14263/10]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 202: To ask the Minister for Transport the amount of funding received from European funds in respect of the rural transport scheme in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14269/10]

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Transport the exploration of the continuation and expansion of the rural transport programme that has taken place; the way it will integrate with the rural transport scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18082/10]

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 201, 202 and 204 together.

Thirty-six rural community transport groups are being funded under my Department's Rural Transport Programme (RTP), which is operational in every county. These groups are working towards maximising coverage in their operational areas having regard to local public transport service needs and the availability of resources. My Department's RTP funding is provided entirely from the Exchequer and does not involve any EU funding. €11 million has been provided for the RTP in 2010.

On rural transport generally, it is important that existing resources in this area are utilised as cost-effectively as possible. In that context a number of initiatives are currently underway exploring the potential for improved synergies between existing transport providers. These include 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 process for developing rural transport policy into the future.