To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to outline any steps she is taking to ensure the long-term sustainability of community transport services in East Londonderry.

I recognise the importance of community transport in improving the lives of individuals within our communities who experience social isolation because they are unable to access suitable transport. Community transport provides access to local goods and services, maintains connections to friends and families and offers independence to those with few travel options.

My Department has funded community transport services in excess of 20 years and I have allocated an additional 26% in 2025/26 to support the rural Dial-a-Lift and urban Disability Action Transport schemes in all areas including East Derry. The level of funding was commensurate with the level of funding requested by those providing these services.

I hope to move to multiyear budgets which would provide certainty around future budgets to community transport providers, assisting them in planning future investment in services and activities

Translink has an ongoing partnership with the local community transport provider, North Coast Community Transport. This partnership provides users of community transport services with access to Coleraine bus and rail station for onward journey options, thereby providing opportunities for connections between community transport and the mainstream public transport network. This model of interchange between modes maximises the efficiency of the combined resources, enabling community transport to provide demand responsive solutions from rural locations and connections to the main public transport network for onward journeys.