Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is negotiating improved input into Bus Éireann services for the social protection-provided services, such as the free travel scheme. The Minister is making very real progress in providing a future for the public transport services provided by Bus Éireann. We know, and it is something that the Deputy and her party refuse to acknowledge, that the difficulties that arise with regard to Bus Éireann have come from the areas of its commercial operations, where it goes directly head to head against private competitors. Under law, it has been provided that that must be a level playing pitch. It is not open to the Minister, Deputy Ross, or indeed any other Minister to provide subvention to services in which there is a commercially open competition between both sides.

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