Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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It is hard to cover everything in a three-minute slot but I have engaged with most of our guests in the past. I thank them for being here this morning. The €2 million profit was taken from Dublin Bus by the NTA because it was deemed as excessive profit. I understand it is based on a return on equity model used to calculate excessive profits. Will the witness comment on that? I understand the model runs contrary to standard business practice. Why does the NTA use it and would it not be deemed far more beneficial if the money could be left with Dublin Bus in order for it to improve services further?

The Expressway routes play a pivotal role in ensuring that many of our towns and communities outside large urban areas have public transport. What is the NTA's view on a position where some of those routes would be transferred from being commercial services to being a public service obligation? I understand the NTA has no formal power to refuse either a public or private operator from amending a commercial service route. What could it do to prevent somebody from tendering for a route, being awarded that route but changing the route a couple of months afterwards, meaning it fails to service the stops originally identified? It puts those operators at a unfair competitive advantage over Bus Éireann. Perhaps Mr. Nolan might address that as well?

There are upcoming tendering proposals for Dublin Bus. Will Mr. Coyne give an update on the progress being made in opening existing Dublin Bus orbital routes to tender? I understand from recent media speculation that a number of potential tenderers have dropped from the process. Why has that happened? What evidence is Dublin Bus using to indicate that competitive tendering will improve cost efficiency or customer services?

According to an assessment by the National Transport Authority carried out in conjunction with Indecon in May 2011, DART underground was considered not just to be a transport scheme but an investment in the future growth of Ireland. The NTA's new transport strategy for the greater Dublin nevertheless has hardly any mention of the project, which appears to have fallen off the agenda. Will the witness comment on that?

Mr. Coyne mentioned that the youth of today are future public transport users. What work is being done in trying to change behavioural attitudes and get more people on public transport? I have posed this question before. A couple of weekends per year the bus service is free for minors. Does Dublin Bus notice a significant upturn in the number of people using the buses on those weekends? Is cost a big impediment to people using public transport?