Those living in rural Ireland should not be “polarised” for needing to drive a car, said Minister of State at the Department of Transport Jack Chambers.

When asked at Ploughing 2023 about a lack of rural connectivity for much of the country’s public transport, the minister said: “I acknowledge and appreciate that for many people living in rural Ireland, by virtue of where their house is, they will need a car and will need to access a vehicle.”

He said that therefore, Government policy on more sustainable forms of transport cannot leave farmers and rural dwellers behind.

Capacity

“It’s about bringing people with us and everything I do is about enhancing capacity, frequency and more services, particularly in rural areas.

“We want to give an uplift for all areas but particularly rural Ireland when it comes to bus transport and rail. It is about giving that extra connectivity to people,” Chambers added.