Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 October 2023
21. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport whether he will make further resources available to the NTA to ensure that it can provide capacity along rural routes to ensure that passengers are not regularly left stranded at bus pick-up points because buses are full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42785/23]
View answerI am strongly committed to improving public transport services in rural areas. Whether it is reduced car dependency, or a more integrated transport network, our vision for rural Ireland is ambitious.
My Department and the NTA are supporting this ambition by providing increased funding to boost Local Link services, for both regular "timetabled" services, and "door-to-door" demand responsive transport services. This has also enabled the Department and the NTA to support the 15 Transport Coordination Units spread across Ireland.
Our focus continues to be on funding and expanding Local Link services. The Deputy will be pleased to hear that funding for Local Link has increased from €12 million in 2016 to circa €43 million in 2023. The additional funding has enabled the introduction of over 100 new Rural Regular Services, improvements to DRT services, and the introduction of evening/night-time services in certain rural areas. Encouragingly, annual passenger numbers have increased from 1.76 million passengers in 2015 to 2.8 million in 2022.
One of our key plans for enhancing the existing transport network across Ireland is the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, which aims to develop an integrated, accessible, and sustainable network of public transport offerings across Ireland. The NTA are planning to roll out 67 new and enhanced services nationwide this year, following the successful rollout of 38 new and enhanced services in 2022. We are also looking to explore alternative options to boost coverage by non-conventional options such as Smart Demand Responsive Transport, Community Cars, and Local Area Hackneys.
My Department and the NTA continue to actively engage on the efficient and timely delivery of this Plan. With regards to specific services, I would direct the Deputy to pose these queries to the NTA directly in light of their statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services.
