Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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61. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he is taking to support Local Link services. [19973/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I am strongly committed to improving public transport services in rural areas and to piloting new transport initiatives for people of all ages and abilities living there. Whether it is reduced car dependency, or a more integrated transport network, our vision for rural Ireland is ambitious.

My Department and the NTA are supporting this by providing increased funding for enhancing TFI Local Link services, for both regular "timetabled" services, and "door-to-door" demand responsive transport (DRT) services as well.

While delivery of DRT services remains a cornerstone of Local Link, in recent years a local demand has been identified by Local Link offices and the NTA for higher frequency scheduled services. The additional funding since 2016 has enabled the introduction of over 100 new Rural Regular Services (RRS) as well as improvements to DRT services and the introduction of evening/night-time services in certain rural areas. The RRS operate at least five times per day over a 5,6,7 days per week schedule. They are specifically designed to ensure connectivity with other public transport services and better linkage of services between and within towns and villages.

One of the key plans for enhancing the existing transport network across Ireland falls under my Department and the NTA's Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan which aims to develop an integrated, accessible, and sustainable network of public transport offerings across Ireland. It is expected that the majority of Connecting Ireland services will be provided by TFI Local Link, and managed by TFI Local Link offices. The NTA are currently rolling out 67 new and enhanced services nationwide in 2023 under Phase 2 of the Plan.

Additionally, we are looking to explore alternative options to boost coverage by non-conventional options such as Smart Demand Responsive Transport, Community Cars, and Local Area Hackneys. Importantly, the ethos of “community-led transport” will also be maintained, as we are currently looking to expand the highly successful Community Car Scheme. We have also committed to reviewing the extensive learnings coming out of our pilot study in Co. Leitrim which positively integrated non-emergency health transport with public transport offerings.