Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

The Minister is a prisoner of the unions and Bus Éireann. Everyone entitled to compete for a route should be entitled to the PSO. That the PSO is a subsidy does not mean that private enterprises would not be prepared to accept it or a lesser subsidy than Bus Éireann's.

However, it is not just a question of Bus Éireann and the unions, which is the Minister's point. Rather, it is a matter of consumers, new choices and new communities. There are no new options. Is it not the case that the Minister could amend the DTA Bill to do away with the licensing process? Morton's Circle Line is lauded as one of the city's best bus service providers, but it is breaking the law because it does not have a licence. The Minister stated that it should not break the law, but should it cease operating? A better alternative would be for the Minister to table amendments to the Bill to allow further competition.

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