Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

At present, bus services are authorised under the Road Transport Act 1932 and the Transport Act 1958. The programme for Government includes a commitment to improve bus services under Transport 21 by reforming bus licensing to facilitate the optimum provision of services by creating a level playing field for all market participants. The new licensing regime will be designed in a manner consistent with the new EU regulation on public service obligations in the transport sector, which was recently agreed by the European Parliament and the Council. This new regulation is expected to be adopted formally in the coming months.

The programme for Government also includes a commitment to examine a national transport regulator in the context of the fundamental review of the entire economic regulatory regime, which will be established immediately. This review will be designed to ensure that the existing regulatory regime is operating efficiently, is balancing the needs of users with the requirements of producers and is not imposing excessive costs on the economy.

My first priority is, however, to fulfil the Government's commitment to expedite the establishment of the Dublin transport authority, DTA, which will have overall responsibility for surface transport in the greater Dublin area. In this regard, I expect to be in a position to bring legislative proposals for the proposed authority to Cabinet for approval next month in order to facilitate the early publication of the Dublin transport authority Bill.

It is not possible at this juncture to indicate a precise time as to when the legislative proposals on regulatory reform of the bus market will be published. However, the licensing provisions of the Road Transport Act 1932, as amended, and the Transport Act 1958 will continue to be applied and all applications and notifications from bus operators will be considered on their merits in accordance with the provisions of the legislation.

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