Ms Anne Graham:

On the 10% market opening, we would not agree that is a privatisation of those services. It is a tender process for the public service obligation services. Those routes are set out by the authority and any changes to the routes, the fares or anything related to that service has to be approved by the authority and be within a contract.

I do not think we should try to see what the outcome of the tendering will be. Dublin Bus are still part of the process. I would not like to indicate at this stage who is the likely winning tender to the 10% market opening up of the Dublin Bus PSO services.

In regard to how an operator can be more competitive, this is a test of the market. We are putting out services to tender to see how the market responds. We cannot foresee how the market will respond in terms of delivery of the tendered services.

The triple lock to which the Deputies referred, as far as I am aware the registered employment agreement already has been registered in the Labour Court. I am not sure where the sectoral employment order is in terms of process or who instigates it. It is enough for the authority to instigate. It is the role of the Department to make changes to existing legislation.