Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)

I am raising the issue owing to the concerns of Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann workers who are members of the NBRU who see an increasing privatisation of public transport. The concern is the issuing of licences by the National Transport Authority to the private operators to compete with Bus Éireann on intercity routes, including Dublin to Cork etc., and the commercially viable routes upon which Bus Éireann depends to help subsidise loss-making routes.

The Government's action plan for jobs proposed to examine opening public service obligation routes after 2014. Does the Minister agree this contravenes section 10 of the Public Transportation Regulation Act 2009, which states that consideration be given to the impact proposed new services would have on existing PSO services?

See this speech in context