Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

To clarify, section 20 already provides for the continued operation of all existing commercial bus services, whether they are provided under licences granted under the 1932 Act or are being operated by Bus Éireann or Bus Átha Cliath. It covers the point made by the Deputy.

The continued operation of funded bus services by the State companies has already been addressed through section 52 of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 and both Bus Éireann and Bus Átha Cliath will be free to submit tenders for new subvented services in respect of their dedicated areas of operation where the authority seeks such submissions under section 48 of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008. That clarifies the story on public bus services.

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