Mr. Ultan Courtney:

With regard to efficiency in the organisation and waste, we are equally of the view that the efficient running of the company is very important. The use of public funds is extremely important to Dublin Bus. Like the committee, we are watching this very closely. The function of a board is to make sure there is no waste of public funds in regard to any moneys given to the company. We have a very tight view on that. If anybody, at any time, brought it to my attention or that of the board that there was any waste or a belief that there was a waste of money, we would investigate it, be it in respect of corporate entertainment or anything else. The funds are hard to get but when we get them we try to mind them as best we can. In my tenure, I have had no knowledge of anything untoward in that regard. We would certainly investigate immediately. Ours is not the kind of company whose officials go away on corporate junkets. We do not do that; we try to run a very tight, clean ship because management must answer to the board and the board must answer to the Dáil. That is the way it is and the way it should be.

With regard to vacancies on the board, there is one vacancy currently. We would like to have it filled. We have a broad range of skills. We have a very good and very balanced board. The system that was introduced recently has worked very well for us and we are looking for another person.

We have also introduced a board succession plan to allow us to identify the needs for future boards and when we can fill them. It will allow us to make a universal case to the Department and the Minister on when those positions should be filled and what skills are needed.

I have been chairman of Dublin Bus for the past three years. I am here looking for renomination. I do not know what more questions the committee wants me to answer about experience or qualifications in that regard.

Dublin Bus is a good company and is generating much revenue. However, we have the age-old problem with funding which we have to take to the Government and the Department. We try to make the company as efficient as possible and make it as hard as possible for the Dáil not to give us funds to run a service. We are in a growing economy. It is important public transport is seen as a strategic part of the State's infrastructure and is funded on that basis.

One can talk about one year and when it is up or down relative to other years. However, as Mr. Frank Allen said, one really needs to talk about multi-annual funding. When we do a contract with the State on public service obligations, it should be over five years. We would then have a good idea where we stand, rather than doing it every year. Over the past six months, we have been discussing funding with the National Transport Authority, NTA. Anybody who has run a business will understand how difficult that is. We understand these are the rules but we will always make the argument that multi-annual contracts would make a difference to us, as well as to the State. It would force us to tell the committee what our costs and expenses will be which we can then be held to.

The economy will change and will continue to do so. The challenge for us will be to ensure we can beat congestion and meet demand. The demand is there and people want bus services. We want to be ahead of the curve, not behind it. We will work extremely hard to stay ahead of the curve.

We will hold on to 30 buses this year to put them out on top of the existing buses the NTA will give to us. In that regard, we work closely with the NTA. We might not always agree but we work closely to ensure this service works.

Dublin Bus is a member of Ibec. We reviewed it this year and will review it next year. We review any payment we make to any group to make sure it gives us the service we need. Every last cent has to be accounted for and it has to be value for money for us as a service. The principle point about Ibec is that we get a range of services. We are employers and Ibec is an employer representative organisation. It has a national executive committee of which our managing director is a member. It also has transport committees and is a body of influence and information. We use it as a service. As soon as the service is not appropriate or relevant to us, we will not use it.