Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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263. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide a breakdown of the funding provided to the Connecting Ireland rural bus scheme in each of the years 2020 to 2025, by year, in tabular form. [31690/25]

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 recognise the importance of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan. In the new Programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, this Government has committed to continuing the roll-out of Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan.

Under Budget 2025, the Department has secured a funding package of €658.442 million for Public Service Obligation (PSO) and TFI Local Link services (an increase from €613.813 million in 2024). This package includes funding for the continuation of the various fare initiatives, such as the Young Adult Card, and the 90-minute fare until the end of 2025. Funding has also been provided to extend free child fares on PSO Services to include those aged 5 to 8-years old, and to support the roll-out new and enhanced bus services under programmes such as BusConnects, Connecting Ireland and new town services.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) 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 delivering the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan and New Town Services.

Connecting Ireland is a major 5-year public transport initiative developed by the National Transport Authority to increase connectivity outside our major cities and towns, which commenced in mid-2022.

Below are the funding details for new Connecting Ireland services, and Rural Regular Services: