Minister for Community and Rural Affairs Eamon Ó Cuív is expected to meet Minister of State for Transport Pat The Cope Gallagher in the coming days to discuss extending the daytime rural transport initiative to provide a night-time bus service for rural pub-goers.
However, Mr Gallagher, who has overall responsibility within his department for the scheme which it also funds, has warned that he would not wish to see any "dilution" of the funding allocated to his department for the current scheme, which is operated by local community groups, in order to finance any other service.
Last week, Mr Ó Cuív said plans for a free and subsidised transport service to bring people to and from pubs are to be finalised before the general election.
The Government has indicated this would only be available in rural areas where there is no transport or taxi service. It is expected that any decision on such a scheme will relate to a pilot project which could then be extended. Another possible source of support for the implementation of such an initiative, at least on a trial basis, could be Mr Ó Cuív's department's €1 million rural development fund.
Mr Ó Cuív's announcement followed claims that the recent clampdown on drink-driving had led to a significant drop in trade at rural pubs, and was increasing rural isolation.
The rural transport initiative currently operates in a number of rural areas during the daytime and is due to be extended this year with over €9 million of funding from Mr Gallagher's department. It provides free or subsidised transport in areas with no public transport or taxi service.
A spokeswoman for Mr Ó Cuív denied suggestions there was disagreement between the two ministers over how to introduce - and fund - any late-night transport initiative in rural areas. She stressed that Mr Ó Cuív was considering his options and had yet to meet Mr Gallagher to discuss the matter.
"How can there be a disagreement when there has not been a meeting?" she said. "As to whether the rural transport initiative will be used, that is something which will be discussed."
Mr Gallagher told The Irish Times he understood concerns in rural areas surrounding the issue.There was an infrastructure in place via the current rural transport initiative, he said.
But any discussion on the possibility of extending this would have to involve Pobail, the umbrella group for local partnership organisations, which oversees the existing initiative, Mr Gallagher said.
He added that discussions are at an "embryonic" stage but he would not wish to see any dilution of the funding for his department's current scheme to enable any new service.
Speaking on RTÉ radio yesterday, Cllr Michael Fitzgerald, who lost the Fine Gael party whip for remarks he made endorsing drink-driving last November, welcomed recent progress on the matter but said he had been "thrown to the wolves and skinned alive" as a result of his comments.
He also questioned the advice given to party leader Enda Kenny on the matter from forces working within Fine Gael.
"I was hung drawn and quartered as well by the parts of the media," he said. "I think it was a reaction . . . Enda Kenny should not have presided over that," Cllr Fitzgerald said.
Asked if he believed Mr Ó Cuív's initiative was simply "electioneering", Cllr Fitzgerald said he did believe this to be the case.
"(Minister Ó Cuív) is only going to get one shot at this . . . and for God's sake I'm saying to him today to do it right."