Bus Éireann and rural transport
Deputy McDonald presses for the Minister to account for the Bus Éireann dispute and rural transport commitments. The Tánaiste says the Minister will address the matter later and notes increased funding for PSO services.
The programme for Government contains a commitment on the value and benefits of rural transport links for communities. In respect of that, and with an eye to the fiasco that is unfolding around Bus Éireann and the very aggressive position taken by management, I note that the Minister is missing in action from all of this. I ask that the Minister, Deputy Ross, be asked to present himself before the House and give a full account of his stewardship of this matter.
More to the point, I want him to outline how he and the Government propose to honour the programme for Government commitment which places a premium on the benefits of rural transport links for communities. To many of us, it seems that rather than building on it the Government is hellbent on dismantling it.
Comment on this
I understand that the Minister is dealing with a Topical Issue matter later which will address these issues. For 2017, the Minister, Deputy Ross, has secured an 11% increase in Exchequer funding for PSO services generally. That means that Bus Éireann's PSO funding will likely increase in 2017.