Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 December 2004
212 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Transport his views on the recommendation in the report by a company (details supplied) that the rural transport initiative increase its services; if he will provide the additional €2 million to help it provide the current level of service and in order that no further cutbacks are necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33002/04]
View answer217 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Transport if he will increase the funding provided for the RTI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33103/04]
View answer222 Mr. Lowry asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 186 of 2 December 2004, if he will provide a substantial increase in funding to the RTI in north Tipperary; if he will visit the RTI in question to view first hand the valuable service provided in an isolated and remote part of north Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33411/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 212, 217 and 222 together.
I have already announced that the RTI allocation for 2005 is €3.45 million which represents an increase of 15% over the 2004 total or more than 12% when account is taken of inflation effects. This increase will result in an overall funding commitment of more than €12 million for the RTI to the end of 2005 and is all the more impressive when it is borne in mind that a total of €4.4 million was provided for the RTI when the initiative was first proposed in the national development plan. In addition, funding is also available to the scheme from the Department of Social and Family Affairs in respect of free travel and from health boards and from other interests who support it. While I am very happy to allocate substantially increased funding to the rural transport initiative, I am keen to ensure that we get value for money for these financial resources. Accordingly my officials will work with Area Development Management Limited, ADM, which administers the scheme, on ways in which the impact of this funding might be maximised in the light of the recent independent evaluation of the programme.
In administering the RTI on behalf of my Department, ADM makes specific allocations to individual RTI projects from funding provided under my Vote. ADM has sole responsibility in deciding on the individual RTI allocations and neither I nor my Department has any function in the matter. Similarly neither I nor my Department has any function in relation to the number and level of services provided by individual RTI projects. I will bear in mind Deputy Lowry's request for me to visit the scheme in north Tipperary at some stage in the future.
