Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 10, 26, 36 and 43 together.

The Government is committed to the expansion of bus services nationwide. Transport 21 provides more than €530 million for bus investment in the greater Dublin area in the next ten years while more than €240 million is included for investment in bus services outside the area.

The programme for Government also includes a commitment to improve bus services under Transport 21 by reforming the bus licensing process to facilitate the optimum provision of services and providing a level playing field for all market participants. Bus services are authorised under the Road Transport Act 1932 and the Transport Act 1958. The new licensing regime will be designed in a manner consistent with the new EU regulation on public service obligations in the transport sector, recently agreed by the European Parliament and European 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 presently established. This review will be designed to ensure the existing regulatory regime is operating efficiently, balances the needs of users with the requirements of producers and does not impose excessive costs on the economy.

My first priority is, however, fulfilling the Government's commitment to expedite the establishment of the Dublin transport authority, which will have overall responsibility for surface transport in the greater Dublin area. In this regard, I expect to bring legislative proposals for the proposed Dublin transport authority to Cabinet for approval next month to facilitate the early publication of the Dublin transport authority Bill. It is not possible to indicate 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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