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Rural Transport Programme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 July 2015

Thursday, 9 July 2015

Questions (274, 275, 276)

Clare Daly

Question:

274. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is satisfied with the National Transport Authority's oversight and monitoring of the transport co-ordination units and with the rural transport programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28094/15]

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Clare Daly

Question:

275. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views that it is acceptable that Flexibus, an agent of the National Transport Authority, would seek to contract drivers from the Fingal rural transport programme to operate a bus owned by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland in Fingal in County Dublin, and keep that bus in the drivers' homes, a practice which is in breach of the Road Safety Authority's guidelines, and for which the drivers would not be insured, potentially exposing the National Transport Authority to potential liabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28095/15]

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Clare Daly

Question:

276. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is satisfied that the National Transport Authority has a policy to deal with new employment and work practices within the transport co-ordination units and the rural transport programme, involving contracting drivers. [28096/15]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 274 to 276, inclusive, together.

The Rural Transport Programme (RTP) was created to address social exclusion arising from unmet public transport needs. In April 2012 responsibility for managing the RTP was assigned to the National Transport Authority (NTA) as part of new arrangements for integrated local and rural transport approved by Government in January 2012 to deliver on its commitment in the Programme for Government to maintain and extend the RTP with other local transport services as much as practicable. This role for the NTA, coupled with its national remit for securing the provision of public passenger transport services, enables the development of better links between local and rural transport services and scheduled bus and rail services.

A restructuring of the RTP, announced in July 2013, involved the establishment of 17 Transport Co-ordination Units (TCUs) in place of the 35 RTP Groups which had previously delivered rural transport services. The NTA has replaced the RTP groups as the contracting party for service provision and the new TCUs will manage the contracted services on behalf of the NTA. The NTA was tasked with restructuring the programme to include local authority involvement in delivery of an efficient and effective integrated local and rural transport linking with the wider state and public transport network.

I am not aware of any concerns regarding the operation of the RTP by the NTA or the contractual arrangements with the TCUs. I have however referred your questions to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

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