The rural transport local link initiative may well outgrow the issue it grew out of – the lower drink driving limits that Shane Ross wants to introduce.

Kildare TD Martin Heydon seized the opportunity to push the transport minister into funding a pilot scheme that encompasses 19 counties.

Heydon’s point is that this is not just about heading to the pub.

Spiralling insurance costs practically prohibit many young people in rural areas from driving, and that’s before considering the proposed rule that provisional drivers must be accompanied by a full licence holder.

Two of the counties not included in the scheme are Galway and Mayo.

However, I understand that this is because no applications were lodged for inclusion from those counties.