Buttimer says Donegal has ‘one of the best rural transport services in the country’
Jerry Buttimer said Donegal has ‘one of the best rural transport services in the country’ after Charles Ward complained of transport connectivity in the county.
Deputy Ward reminded the Dáil that Donegal is one of the few counties on the island without a rail network in the county.
"We once had one. Everything was taken out of the county and nothing was put back. The county is completely forgotten and neglected when it comes to public transport and essential infrastructure,” said the 100% Redress TD.
Citizens, he said, are dependant on buses or cars.
“People in Donegal rely heavily on buses. When you are in rural Donegal, you have to rely on one bus per day to take you to a connecting town.
"Otherwise, you will have to take a car. Particularly in Letterkenny, the traffic is chronic.
"I have been contacted many times by people who have been left stranded on the side of the road for hours because their buses did not come and they could not get into college or work in time. That is the reality on the ground for people in Donegal. It is completely unacceptable,” he blasted.
Responding Mr. Buttimer, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, said: We want to strengthen transport connectivity not just for the urban commuters referenced by Deputies, but also for rural Ireland.
"Deputy Ward spoke about Donegal, which has one of the best rural transport services in the country, but we did not hear about that today. Rural Link providers are doing a phenomenal job. Next year, I want to see the continued expansion of Local Link throughout the country.”
The Donegal TD was speaking in support of a motion calling for the government to reverse a proposal to increase public transport fares by between 15 and 30 per cent, which he described as ‘a deeply disappointing backwards step’.
"People cannot afford these additional daily costs. It is unacceptable that passengers have to pay significantly more for services that are already falling short, especially when there is no commitment to long-overdue investment and improvements needed to justify the increases,” he said.