Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Transport the position regarding the alleged operation of all bus services without a licence here; the number of buses that are operating without departmental sanction; the action his Department or the National Transportation Authority is taking in this regard; if his Department granted a licence to a bus company (details supplied) on 27 April 2010 to run a Galway to Dublin service; the reason for granting this licence; if he ever met any representatives of a company on an official state visit to China or Singapore; the steps he has taken in the aftermath of the evidence given to the Joint Committee on Transport on 18 November 2009 in regard to the alleged illegal operation of that company's Dublin to Galway service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17860/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Pending the commencement of the relevant provisions of the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009, bus route licences are granted to private operators in accordance with the provisions of the Road Transport Act 1932. The National Transport Authority is at an advanced stage in the preparation of new licensing guidelines required under the 2009 Act. I expect the new licensing regime, including a substantial penalty regime for unlicensed services, to be in place during 2010.

The Department referred the investigation of three unlicensed operators to the Gardaí in recent years. An operator was prosecuted in 2006 and the Gardaí recently brought a prosecution against another operator. The matter was decided before Galway District Court on 28 April 2010. The operation of one other unlicensed operator is still with the Gardaí.

In accordance with the requirements of the Road Transport Act 1932, my Department considered an application for an express Dublin to Galway bus service from Citylink. A licence for such a service was recently granted having regard to the public interest.

In March 2008, while on route to represent the Government for St. Patrick's Day in Australia. I had a meeting with Irish City Link Comfort Delgro Limited who own the "Citylink" network in Ireland.