Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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579. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the report on rural transport as committed to on page 50 of the programme for government has been furnished to the relevant Houses of the Oireachtas committee; the date on which it was furnished; if the report was discussed at the committee; if the report is available to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42336/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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In recognition of the value and benefit of rural transport to many communities, the Programme for a Partnership Government undertakes to examine how best to improve integration of services in the rural bus network within regions, and proposed that a report about this should be provided to the relevant Oireachtas Committee. Work on this matter is still underway, so such a report has not yet been provided to the Oireachtas Committee on Transport.

The Deputy may be aware that the National Transport Authority (NTA) – which operates under the aegis of my Department – has responsibility for integrated local and rural transport, including management of the Rural Transport Programme, which now operates under the “Local Link” brand. Arising from the Programme for Government commitment for a report on rural transport, we asked the NTA to examine the way in which existing routes can be made more sustainable and accessible to the public and the potential for greater integration. The NTA has now provided material to my Department about the role and operation of the Local Link services in connecting rural dwellers to facilities and services in their area, and the potential for the future. This is now being examined and developed by my Department in the context of its wider work on review of public transport policy, as also committed to in the Programme for Government. Our intention is that there would be a report about rural transport matters for the Committee early in the new year.