To ask the Minister for Regional Development for his assessment of the impact that cuts to core funding for community transport services will have on the most vulnerable in society.

I have been working intensively with officials to determine how best to spend the limited resources that are available to me. My Department delivers key water, transport and road services. The population relies on our services 24 hours a day. However, I am facing £60million of pressures for next year and the scale of reduction required to meet that cannot be delivered without an impact on core services.

Where I fully support and acknowledge the valuable services provided by all community transport service providers, there will however be a reduction in the level of funding available. I have tried to minimise this.

My Department will be working with the service providers to explore ways of delivering the service in a more cost efficient manner and will seek to minimise the impact on the end user.