AQW 48987/11-16

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 21/09/2015
Answered On Date: 30/09/2015
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development for her assessment of the Assisted Rural Travel Scheme, including the number of people who have access to this service, and the impact which budgetary pressures within her Department and the Department for Regional Development will have on the scheme.

Answer:

The Assisted Rural Travel Scheme (ARTS) has been funded under the Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Programme. Through ARTS, rural dwellers, across the north, who are members of their local Rural Community Transport Partnership (RCTP) and who hold a valid SmartPass can travel free or half fare on the Dial-a-Lift services provided by the RCT P’s. There are currently 8,301 rural dwellers that can avail of this service.

Funding for ARTS in conjunction with the Department of Regional Development is in place until March 2016. Assessments of both individual project evaluations and the Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Framework evaluation are currently taking place and a decision regarding funding of various initiatives, post March 2016, will be made in late Autumn.