Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Transport his view's on the development of a rural transport policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35069/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The development of rural transport is a key objective in both the Government's sustainable travel and transport plan 'Smarter Travel – A Sustainable Transport Future' and separately in my Department's sectoral Plan under the Disability Act 2005. Reflecting the Government's continued commitment in this area, €11 million is being provided for the Rural Transport Programme in 2010.

It is important to ensure that existing resources in this area are utilised in the future as cost-effectively as possible. In that context a number of initiatives have been undertaken to explore the potential for improved synergies between existing transport providers, including the Health Service Executive, the Department of Education and Science, Bus Éireann, Pobal and the Irish Wheelchair Association. The initiatives are currently being assessed and, together with a recently completed 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, will feed into the further development of rural transport policy.