Mr. Garret Doocey:

The delivery of public transport services as funded by the Exchequer and the taxpayer is governed by EU and Irish law. The EU law is Regulation 1370/2007 and the Irish law is the Dublin Transport Authority Act. The Cathaoirleach is probably aware of this. This law entrusts the NTA with the responsibility to enter into contractual arrangements with public transport providers. EU and domestic law carve out the continued delivery of these services by State-owned operators through direct award contracts. In Ireland and most European countries, although not all of them, we do have public transport services being provided by publicly-owned companies. In Ireland we have Bus Éireann and Bus Átha Cliath, with Iarnród Éireann on the rail network as well.

There has been bus market opening – that is the term used – in Ireland over the past ten years, maybe since 2013, whereby some services on the publicly-subvented network have been opened up for competition. There are benefits to be drawn from that in terms of driving efficiencies and promoting new practices in the overall delivery of the services. Both publicly and privately owned companies may participate in the bus market opening competitions.