Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

I expect the NTA to be a champion for the consumer and passenger. It is there to regulate services and to set standards to ensure transport companies deliver on their commitments under contract. The Deputy also raised the matter of fleet standards and, as I indicated, the health and safety aspects will be dealt with under legislation for the road transport operators' licence.

The reality of commercial services competing with public services is that any new PSO contracts will have to be advertised. A company which does not have high standards operating in its fleet will not be able to compete and will go out of business. The best guarantee for consumers is a level playing field on which providers will have to compete.

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