An overall budget of €9.133 million has been allocated to the Rural Transport Programme (RTP) for 2013, representing a small decrease on the 2012 allocation of €9.77 million, at a diffcult time financially. €76,423 of the 2013 RTP budget has been allocated to Longford Community Resources Ltd, the RTP in Co Longford, from January to June 2013. A further proposed allocation of €76,423 from July to December 2013 has also been made. This brings the total allocation of RTP funding for Longford Community Resources Ltd to €152,846 for 2013.
I recently met with representatives of Longford Community Resources Ltd and we had a very useful exchange of views. I assured them that my aim is to strengthen the RTP by ensuring a more efficient delivery structure by maximising integration with other state transport services and by making the programme a sustainable part of the public transport system. This is in line with the Programme for Government commitment to maintain and extend the RTP with other local transport services. To this end national responsibility for local and rural transport services integration, including the RTP, was assigned to the National Transport Authority (NTA) with effect from 1st April 2012, putting such services in a broader transport context. I also established the National Integrated Rural Transport (NIRT) Committee in April 2012, comprising key stakeholders and chaired by the NTA, to oversee and manage a partnership approach to implementing integrated local and rural transport. I am well aware of the very valuable work done by the RTP Groups such as Longford Community Resources Ltd in identifying and delivering the transport needs of their local community. However, given resources are limited and that the Value for Money and Policy Review of the RTP, published last year, recommended organisational restructuring to achieve efficiencies and the better alignment of the 35 RTP groups with local authorities, it is necessary that the current delivery mechanisms and structures are examined and revised. The current structures of the RTP are not sustainable if the required efficiencies and savings are to be achieved. If these are not achieved then with the limited resources available services will decline.
Work has been underway over the last six months to determine the optimal structure for the delivery of rural transport from an efficiency and service perspective. This has involved consultations with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the County and City Managers Association and the rural Transport Network in the context of aligning the new structure with the local authority structure.
I would emphasise that no decision has been taken regarding the County Longford area or any other part of the country. I am awaiting proposals from the NTA when they have concluded their deliberations and discussions but I am hopeful that I will be in a position to recommend a new structure in the near future which will allow for the maximising of spend on services and the reduction of administration costs. I will be ensuring that any future structure for the RTP will be based on community input, local flexibility and involving the voluntary sector. Rural Transport by its nature is community-based and this will remain under any new structure.
