Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Will the Minister initiate a review of the issuing of licences by the NTA? I do not mean this in a Big Brother way, but perhaps in consultation with the NTA. Will the Minister review the entire process of the issuing of licences to establish when and if there is effective competition? I call on the Minister to look to the broader need of the catchment area to ensure that all areas are served adequately and appropriately.

Let us consider a route between two large towns or one of the cities and a large town. Not every service need go on the main route. With proper structuring it should be possible to serve the direct requirement and the indirect requirement, perhaps without requiring a subvention. None of us are suggesting that we simply need to find more money to subvent services. Of course it should be provided if it is absolutely necessary, but I believe there is a more appropriate, balanced and structured way of achieving the same result. It will require the input of the NTA as well as a little change in direction. The competitive environment should be considered in a holistic way rather than simply in the point-to-point way it is being considered at the moment.

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