Mr. Gerry Murphy:

That is a good point. There is nothing which has really fallen into the gaps at present in the context of the management of it. The Department of Social Protection pays money not only to CIE companies but also to the RPA and private bus operators. The Department froze that process in 2009 or 2010 and any new people coming in with licences avail of that. A review is currently being carried out by the Departments of Social Protection and Transport, Tourism and Sport - Ms Graham sits on the relevant national committee - in respect of where we are going in the context of the subsidisation of free travel. We receive reports from the operators we subsidise of the amount of money they obtain via the subsidy component. When I mention that we know all the revenues, costs and fare increases when they come into us, I mean that we are aware of the sum the CIE companies are receiving.