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Giving Rural Ireland A Lift

Issued : Tuesday 1 December, 2009

Summary

Rural public transport services have been under-funded and neglected for years and the transport needs of rural Ireland have too often been ignored. Yet the provision of public transport services in rural communities is critical for social and economic development. Rural public transport networks are also vitally important for combating social exclusion and rural isolation especially for senior citizens, people with disabilities, families on low incomes and other vulnerable citizens. Rural public bus services generally provide good value for money. But they are also about more than the economic return given the huge social, environmental and even health benefits that result from the existence of rural public transport networks.

However, recently rural public bus services have come under sustained attack from the Fianna Fail/Green government. There has been a savage programme of cutbacks proposed for Bus Eireann fleets and services. The government is also considering ending completely the Department of Transport's funding for the innovative, community-based Rural Transport Programme. The Labour Party believes that access to decent public transport services should be a right of every citizen wherever they live.

For this reason Labour believes we must:

1. Maintain the Rural Transport Programme.
2. Make rural transport planning a key priority of the Department of Transport and the new National Transport Authority.
3. Protect the national Bus Eireann rural bus network.
4. Prioritise the enhanced integration of rural transport services.
5. Review successful EU rural transport models & establish a rural public transport services target.
6. Consider initiatives to encourage local transport companies to become more financially independent.