Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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86. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the proposals his Department is working on in conjunction with the NTA on the Action Plan for Rural Development to work with rural communities to assess and implement improvements to existing rural transport routes and develop new rural transport routes as necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35791/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. It is the National Transport Authority (NTA) which has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally. The NTA also has national responsibility for integrated local and rural transport, including management of the Rural Transport Programme which operates under the Local Link brand.

From a policy perspective, my Department has been undertaking a review of sustainable mobility policy, which incorporates public transport and active travel and includes the rural transport dimension as provided for in Action 251 of the Action Plan for Rural Development (APRD). 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 I published a report of the public consultation last week.

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 process 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 and will replace the previous Smarter Travelpolicy, dating from 2009.

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

In relation to Action 252 of the APRD which commits to working with rural communities to assess and implement improvements to existing rural transport routes and develop new rural transport routes as necessary, given the NTA's responsibilities regarding public transport routes and services, I have referred this aspect of your question to the NTA for further response to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.