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Rural Transport Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 October 2004

Tuesday, 5 October 2004

Questions (277)

Marian Harkin

Question:

396 Ms Harkin asked the Minister for Transport if adequate funding in the region of €6 million will be allocated in 2004 to the rural transport initiative for meaningful development to be achieved; and if the RTI period will be extended until the end of 2006 as outlined in the recent external evaluation by a company, details supplied. [23277/04]

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Written answers

I am delighted to announce that in line with the principal recommendation of the recent evaluation report on the rural transport initiative, RTI, my Department will continue to fund this pilot initiative for a further two years to the end of 2006. The evaluation was carried out by Fitzpatrick Associates, economic consultants, and was commissioned by Area Development Management Limited which manages the RTI on behalf of my Department.

This extension of the pilot RTI will allow a more comprehensive appraisal of the effectiveness of the initiative in addressing the transport needs of rural areas, particularly as many of the pilot projects only became fully operational in 2003. While the National Development Plan 2000-2006 proposed a total of €4.4 million for this initiative, some €6 million has already been provided for it in the two year period ended December 2003 and further funding of €3 million is being provided for the RTI in 2004. Decisions relating to the specific level of funding for the RTI next year will be taken in due course as part of the 2005 Estimates process which is currently under way.

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