Vol. 557 No. 6
206 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding the rural transport initiative; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that consultants were employed to identify needs and possible solutions in all counties; and if he will announce when such a report will be made available. [23049/02]
To date eight community transport groups have received funding for transport operations under the rural transport initiative while projects from a further 17 groups have recently been approved for operational funding. Some €3 million will be spent on the RTI this year and a similar amount is earmarked for 2003.
An interdepartmental committee was established in 2001, under the chairmanship of my Department, with the remit of bringing forward options for the development of rural public transport policy. A study commissioned by that committee is now nearing completion and I look forward to receiving its proposals by the end of this year.
The study will address among other things the outcome of a nationwide survey of rural transport needs and services which was conducted by each county development board in 2001.
