Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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210. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the budget allocation to the LocalLink bus service in each of the years 2018 to 2020; the amount allocated for 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21215/21]

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.

As I advised the Deputy in my answers to his Questions (Ref 18190/20) of 28 July 2020, and (Ref 42961/20) of 15 December 2020, my Department provides aggregate funding for Local Link services to the NTA.

In both of those replies, I also advised the Deputy that since 2018 the total annual allocation for Local Link services has included funding for rural regular services from the Public Service Obligation (PSO) budget provision. I also provided the Deputy with the total allocations for the years 2016 - 2020 including the aforementioned PSO allocation for the years since 2018.

For the convenience of the Deputy these total allocation amounts are repeated below, together with the total allocation for 2021.

2016 - €12.2m

2017 - €14.4m

2018 - €19.5m

2019 - €21.0m

2020 - €23.4m

2021 - €28.2m