Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

Amendment No. 23 focuses on sub-paragraph 10(1)(b)(iv). The paragraph is based on the reasonable assumption that the public would benefit from a proposed public bus service. The removal of this provision could give rise to claims from the existing operator on a route, whether public or private, that he or she has an exclusive right to the route, given the absence of any account being taken of the prospect of increasing the availability of transport services. Having regard to that, I propose to retain the paragraph and do not accept amendment No. 23.

The purpose of amendment No. 24 is to allow the authority to refuse licence applications where there might be an issue related to the vehicular capacity of the proposed route or where, for example, the proposed commercial service might impact on the reliability of an existing PSO service that has been procured by the authority. I do not doubt that this might arise. That is why I have addressed this in the combined provisions of sub-paragraphs 10(1)(b)(i) and 10(1)(b)(iii), which address issues such as the need for well-functioning and safe public transport systems and the need for the preservation of good order and safety on the public roads, generally.

The wording of the Deputy's amendments is more prescriptive and rigid. I assure him that the scenarios he outlines are covered in the Bill. I appreciate that the Deputy is raising objections and fears which people have brought to his attention. Many of those fears are based on the assumption that the national transport authority will set out to damage public transport companies and will do everything it can to make life difficult for them. That is not the intention of the legislation. The two people who have been appointed as chair and chief executive of the authority are known to Deputy Broughan. They are two very fair-minded individuals who will set the tone for the authority, as will the Bill. The wish of the House, as expressed in the Bill, is that the authority will ensure a level playing field and an efficient and effective public transport system which will meet the needs of consumers without being a huge burden on the taxpayers. The taxpayers must pay. There will always be a taxpayers' subvention for a public transport system. There are very few places in the world where the public transport system does not require the support of taxpayers. I have no difficulty with that. However, we must ensure that taxpayers' money is not wasted. I would like to secure more taxpayers' money for the public transport system. At some time in the future we may do that but we cannot do so currently. It is important that Members of this House, and particularly the Minister with responsibility for transport, can say that the taxpayers' subvention for public transport is well spent. The Bill will ensure that.

The Deputy's concerns, while not stated as explicitly as he might like, are contained in the Bill. The provisions can be applied. The fears about the Bill which have been raised are groundless.

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