Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

This proposal seeks to introduce a requirement for the authority to invite and consider local authority submissions in the case of all bus licence applications. It also stipulates that making a submission would be a reserved function of the local authority unless a period of 35 days elapses after which it would be an executive function. As the Deputy pointed out, this was discussed at length in the other House and on Committee Stage. I proposed an alternative amendment which clarifies that the authority may seek the views of any local authority in whose functional area the proposed public bus passenger services will operate. That amendment now forms part of section 10(2)(b) in the text as amended by the select committee. As this provision addresses the point made by the Deputy in his proposal in a manner that is consistent with the generic as opposed to specific approach adopted in this part, I ask him to withdraw the amendment.

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