Mr. Tim Gaston:

Every application we receive for a new licence or a licence amendment is treated in the same way. Rather than failing to renew licences, we apply the same set of tests and criteria, as mentioned in a question that was asked earlier. We ascertain the level of demand or potential demand on the relevant corridor for an increase in public transport activity on the back of the relevant licence. We apply those tests to all licences that are issued to Bus Éireann, commercial operators and other operators. That is what the legislation requires us to do. We have to take account of the demand or the potential demand for services. We refuse licences from time to time. We occasionally have discussions with the operators involved to discuss whether their licences might complement services that are operating in certain corridors if they applied to different times of the day or the week. We would argue that we have the numbers to illustrate that we have been able to increase the total public transport market by means of controlled and regulated competition. There are many examples of corridors where we have chosen not to continue to grant licences or amendments because we believe they are adequately provided for. We have taken both actions.