Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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199. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the Rural Transport Programme Policy Review commissioned by his Department, carried out by Indecon; the major findings and recommendations of this review; when he intends to publish the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27383/25]

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)
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As Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport, I hold responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to rural public transport. This Government is firmly committed to improving public transport across the country and that commitment is demonstrated through the significant investment that has been made in both services and infrastructure in recent years.

In line with a commitment in the previous Programme for Government, Our Share Future, a review of the Rural Transport Programme (RTP) was carried out by Indecon Consultants to examine the effectiveness of existing operational functions, organisational structure, and governance of the RTP and to provide recommendations for an optimal future structure for the delivery of Government’s policies in respect of rural transport.

As part of the Review, Indecon consulted with a wide range of stakeholders including relevant government departments, the Local Government Management Association, the Local Link Network representative body, Age Friendly Ireland, Disability Federation of Ireland, and all 15 of the Transport Coordination Units (TCU's).

The review is now complete, and includes recommendations to inform policy direction towards finding the most viable administrative, operational and governance structure to best deliver on Government’s strategic commitments.

In November 2024 the Department held a stakeholder event to get feedback on the recommendations of the Review from Transport Coordination Units and the NTA. Attendees provided feedback on the pros and cons of the proposals. Their views will help inform the policy direction for the programme, particularly in relation to the optimal administrative, operational and governance structures in light of the unprecedented growth across the system in recent years.

The review is currently under consideration within the Department.