To ask the Minister for Regional Development whether the Rural Transport Fund is intended to fund the Rural Community Transport Partnerships as organisations, or to fund the services which they provide.

The Rural Transport Fund (RTF) is administered by my Department and has been in existence in Northern Ireland since November 1998. Its primary objective is to support transport services designed to give people in rural areas improved access to work, education, healthcare, shopping and recreational activities and by so doing assists in reducing their social isolation.

The RTF offers support through two primary means of assistance:

Subsidy for new rural services provided by Translink which are economically unviable but socially necessary; and

revenue and capital funding for Rural Community Transport Partnerships that offer a range of complementary services to the public transport network for their members.