Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2009
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Departmental Expenditure.
341 Deputy Rory O’Hanlon asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the cost of subsidy and grants for transport to support communities in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24531/09]
Amharc ar fhreagraI take it the Deputy is referring to the Rural Transport Schemes operated and funded by my Department.
For the year 2008 my Department provided a total of €479,328 to fund the Rural Transport Night Scheme as a pilot project. The groups delivering this pilot project are also part of the Rural Transport Programme, operated by the Department of Transport.
In addition, the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) provides resources to maintain and improve local amenities and to generate important social inclusion benefits to community members, including in some cases, supporting rural transport schemes. A number of implementing bodies who run the RSS on behalf of my Department provide drivers, assistants and administration workers for the provision of such services. Their estimated cost for 2008 is approximately €540,500 for supporting Rural Transport schemes.
For completeness, my Department provided €2.8 million under the Community Services Programme for community transport in 2008. Expenditure in respect of the Community Services Programme for 2009 is approximately €1.5 million to end of May 2009.
Additionally, approximately €4.8 million was spent by the Department in 2008 on the provision of ferry, air and road transport for the island communities.
