Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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633. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to outline his plans to bring forward proposals to fund specialised buses for persons with a disability; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that agencies that currently provide such a service and have applied to the HSE for assistance have been informed that the HSE does not fund the purchase of vehicles. [24759/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As part of the public transport investment programme, my Department provides funding to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for a rolling programme of bus replacement and refurbishment of the PSO bus fleet. This has enabled 100% of the Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann city fleets to be wheelchair accessible, as well as approximately 80% of the Bus Éireann coach fleet and this will increase as the coach fleet is replaced.

Since 2012 the National Transport Authority (NTA) has been assigned national responsibility for integrated local and rural transport, including management of the Rural Transport Programme funded by my Department. The NTA is preparing a report for my Department, in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, regarding the potential for integration with other transport type services such as the HSE transport services. It is also examining the way in which existing routes can be made more sustainable and accessible to the public and the potential for new routes. I anticipate that the Report will be submitted to the Oireachtas Transport Committee shortly.