Recommendation 7

The Committee recognises the invaluable contribution that community-led organisations often make towards helping sustain rural communities and maintaining access to services through initiatives such as community transport. The Committee also notes that such services can be more cost-effective than public sector alternatives in some localities although they cannot replace them entirely. However, the Committee is clear that such initiatives cannot be sustained or upscaled without adequate, long-term and sustainable funding and support. It is not acceptable for essential services in rural areas to be dependent on the goodwill of volunteers alone.