Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

With regard to the Disability Act 2005, operators will have to run services in accordance with the law. The Act sets out a timetable for the provision of services and accessibility and so on and that will apply across the board. The fleet of our main public transport provider is 82% accessible by people with disabilities. Deputy O'Dowd raised a query about level playing fields earlier but this gives the provider an enormous advantage because as we move towards the complete enactment of the Disability Act 2005, it will be ahead of many private operators.

I agree with the Deputy that many private operators have been entrepreneurial and innovative. They have carved out niches for themselves in various transport sectors. Some have become large and they provide employment, which is positive. Deputy Broughan referred to a level playing field regarding terms and conditions but I gave him a commitment that when we bring forward the new RTOL legislation, such issues will be addressed. In the meantime, everybody will have to comply with the current law regarding health and safety conditions, wages, the minimum wage, etc. I will deal further with the issue raised by him in that legislation.

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