To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail the resources his Department is putting in place to support rural transport.

My Department awarded grant funding of £2.236M in 2023/24 to support the delivery of rural Dial-a-Lift Scheme services which are delivered across the North by rural community transport providers. Funding of £55K was also awarded to the Community Transport Association to provide advice and services across both the rural and urban community transport sector.

Due to the delay with the 2024/25 Budget, I have approved funding for community transport providers for the first quarter of 2024/25 to support the continuance of community transport in rural areas.

Translink do not account for the operation of public transport on the basis of rural and non-rural services. Ulsterbus provides the majority of the rural network, as well as inter-urban services and rural and smaller town services. On that basis I can confirm that Ulsterbus received £46.779M of bus route subsidy during 2023/24. Allocations for 2024/25 are in the process of being finalised.