Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I am pleased that, after many discussions with stakeholders, both in the public and private sectors, the proposals on which I was working met with favour in Government. This is an evolutionary approach to a planned opening up of the market and is in line with EU competition law.

I have already conveyed the need for Dublin Bus to provide an additional 100 buses into the market in Dublin. Dublin Bus is responsible for its own day-to-day operations but I and others in the House have articulated the need for as many buses to come on stream as quickly as possible. We also want to provide 100 extra buses to the private sector, as additional buses are required, particularly on the periphery of the city, as the Deputy made clear.

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