Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

The Labour Party disagrees totally with the Government policy on breaking up the Dublin bus market. The Government is using this tactic to avoid the issue of adequate subvention. Our subvention rate is approximately 25% whereas the average in most European cities is 50%. The Government is failing utterly to tackle the basic issue of funding for public transport services. It is using this measure to delay expansion in the bus market. We have not yet seen the legislation to establish the Dublin transport authority. It has been long promised, but when will the DTA deliver buses? The level of bus service is not adequate to the demand. The cost of regulation will be excessive, for example, regulating the Dublin bus market is estimated at €35 million. That money would be better spent on the extra buses that are so badly needed.

I have three questions for the Minister of State. When will we see the DTA? Bus licences are being given away for a song under the 1932 Act. We were promised modern legislation to update the bus licensing system. When will we see that legislation? What is the Minister of State's estimate of the cost of the regulation of the Dublin bus market as proposed?

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