Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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1193. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to outline the number of meetings held with rural transport companies and the other consultations that were held prior to the announcement of changes to the rural transport programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35010/13]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Since my appointment as Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport, I have personally met and visited a large number of Rural Transport Programme (RTP) groups.  I have also met with the Rural Transport Network (RTN).

In addition the National Transport Authority (NTA) who took over national responsibility for the RTP on 1^st April 2012 and were responsible for preparing the options for restructuring  have engaged in a consultation process with the RTN. They attended the AGM of the RTN in Portlaoise on 4^th October 2012.  Following on from this they met with the RTN on 25^th October and provided the Network with a presentation on the foundation for the drafting of a restructuring plan for the RTP.

Subsequently, as part of the ongoing consultative process  the NTA met with the Network five times during 2013, on 28^th January, 28^th February, 15^th April, 7^th May and 18^th June. At the meeting of 15^th April 2013, the NTA and RTN mutually agreed to establish three Working Groups as part of the restructuring process with a further Working Group agreed on by both parties at the meeting of 7^th May - I attended part of this meeting. The Groups are due to commence work relating to the implementation of the restructuring  over the summer.

The Department and the NTA have also met and consulted with the County and City Managers Association and with the Department of Environment and Local Government.