Ms Anne Graham:

I have to make it very clear what we are responsible for, so I need to repeat that we are not responsible for the procurement of the recent school transport contracts. We would be aware of what they are, but the decisions relating to that have nothing to do with the authority. Therefore, we cannot comment on any outcome relating to that procurement because it is not part of the statutory role that we have.

We do have a responsibility for the rural transport programme. We took over the management of that programme in 2012. At that time there would have been a number of contracts in place between Kerry Flyer and Kerry Community Transport Limited in regard to rural transport provision, the provision of public transport services. They would have been procured by Kerry Community Transport at that time. Those contracts, as with other contracts throughout the country, were novated in that we became the client for them in order to keep them in place and the services running until we were in a position to re-tender them. Therefore, I can only respond concerning those particular contracts for rural transport services. They would have been procured by Kerry Community Transport Limited back in 2009.

We are now going through a process of re-tendering those services. We commenced that process this week with a pre-qualification procedure. It is open to all public transport operators to avail of and go through that process. We cannot comment on the school transport contracts. I can only respond in regard to the rural transport contracts.

In terms of the checks and balances we would have in place, we have an external audit concerning the rural transport programme. The audit relates to the funding that is given to the different groups, the 17 RTP groups. Those auditors would try to ensure that proper public procurement has been used in terms of contracts that are funded through the rural transport programme. There is a rolling series of audits of all the rural transport groups. There were originally 35 rural transport groups. They would have been audited by Pobal which was the agency responsible for the programme in advance.

At this stage, I do not have to hand the date of the last audit undertaken of Kerry Community Transport Limited but I can certainly make it available to the Deputy. However, that would have been an ongoing audit of all rural transport groups, initially by Pobal followed up by ourselves, to ensure that the funding associated with rural transport programmes continues.