Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their attendance. At the outset, I welcome the improvements in safety that have occurred in recent years. I certainly remember being on a 54 seater school bus in the mid-1990s on which there were 90 children on one occasion. It was more like the Tokyo underground than a rural school bus but, thankfully, we have come a long way since then. I wish to ask a couple of questions about the nitty-gritty of the tendering process. How are tenders actually received and opened? What does Bus Éireann do to ensure that any sensitive information is protected, is not leaked and that no one who should not know about it does not know about it? What oversight exists in respect of the tendering process?

Does Bus Éireann accept tenders from operators that clearly are operating below cost? Does Bus Éireann have concerns in cases where operators are tendering well below cost?

Is Bus Éireann aware of the difficulties that causes for the general provision of services?