Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
255. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport if he will take emergency action and if necessary, seek emergency powers to rapidly expand the range of public transport services throughout rural Ireland in view of the crisis of accommodation in cities, the lack of public transport in rural Ireland and the increasing cost of fuel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43414/22]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I am very conscious of the need to connect our people and places across Ireland, especially in rural areas, with accessible, integrated, and sustainable public transport. It is important to provide access opportunities for all citizens to employment, education, healthcare or retail. My Department and the NTA are supporting this by providing increased funding (c. €29m in 2022) for enhancing TFI Local Link services, for both regular "timetabled" services, and "door-to-door" demand responsive services as well. Additionally, we are looking to explore alternative options to boost coverage by non-conventional options such as DRT, Community Cars, and Local Area Hackneys.
Importantly, the ethos of “community-led transport” will also be maintained. We are currently looking to expand the highly successful Community Transport Scheme. And we have also committed to reviewing the extensive learnings coming out of our pilot study in Co. Leitrim which positively integrated non-emergency health transport with public transport offerings.
One of the key plans for enhancing the existing transport network across Ireland falls under my Department and the NTA's Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility plan. The overarching aim of Connecting Ireland is to develop an integrated, accessible, and sustainable network of public transport offerings across Ireland. Under the Connecting Ireland plans, Ireland will see:
- an overall increase of approximately 25% in rural bus services
- 70% of people in rural Ireland will have access to public transport service that provides at least three return trips daily to the nearby town, compared to the current figure of 53%.
Currently, routes identified through the Connecting Ireland consultation process are being prioritised to provide emergency public transport services to areas where the population and transport demand has increased due to the requirement to house Ukrainian refugees in rural locations. This will be achieved by accelerating network improvements, including additional stops, route modifications, and more services to increase connectivity.
Additionally, as the Deputy will be aware, a 20% average reduction is being introduced on PSO services as part of a suite of Government measures to help combat the rising cost of living. I also secured €25m of funding to provide for the introduction of a young adult card (YAC), which will allow any person nationwide who is between 19 and 23 years old to avail of entitlement for discounted travel costs, and to increase the level of discount over and above the current student discount to an average of discount of 50% across all services, including city, intercity and rural services. The YAC was introduced on PSO services on the 9th of May and then extended to participating commercial bus operators on the 5th of September. This will not only promote a modal shift in the transport sector among this age group but should also contribute towards reduced reliance on private transport with the associated benefit of transport emission savings.
I am hopeful that investing in these services and the fare initiatives will help serve those living in rural areas, and provide for a much more efficient framework for the provision of rural transport.
