Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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48. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the review of LocalLink with a view to providing an expanded service. [25960/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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There is a need for a fundamental change in the nature of transport in Ireland and the Programme for Government commits to making active travel and public transport better and more accessible. Among the measures we will prioritise is a Sustainable Rural Mobility Plan to ensure settlements over a certain size can connect to the national public transport system, expanding the Local Link rural transport service and prioritising public transport projects that enhance regional and rural connectivity.

The Deputy will also be aware that my Department has already been undertaking a review of sustainable mobility policy, which incorporates public transport and active travel. In this context the Department held a public consultation process between November 2019 and February 2020, and included a stakeholder event in the course of that consultation. Over 250 submissions were received as part of this public consultation process and these are currently being analysed. I intend to publish a report of the public consultation process shortly.

I intend to develop a new policy framework for the next 10 years that can provide a strategic backdrop to the increased investment planned by this Government across the sustainable mobility programme. The new policy statement will be informed by the review of the previous policy framework (known as Smarter Travel), submissions received during my Department's consultation period and the views and recommendations of other relevant stakeholders. It will provide a platform to advance the ambitions of the Programme for Governmentin the area of sustainable mobility, including active travel, and will replace the previous Smarter Travelpolicy, dating from 2009.

Our Programme for Government commitments in relation to public transport in rural areas will be progressed in the context of that new policy statement.