Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Bus Éireann underbid Go-Ahead by €3 million but Go-Ahead was still given the contract, so it seems to be a rigged system. The NTA does not want Bus Éireann to be able to maintain its own routes. In reality, it is not allowed compete. What is happening is a fragmenting of the network. Bus Éireann is expected to show a profit despite all the challenges of the NTA increasing licences and curtailing Expressway. The NTA guidelines are meant to be cognisant of the public service obligation, which does not seem to have been the case with Go-Ahead. At least with Bus Éireann the surplus money is reinvested into the economy; with companies like Go-Ahead, but specifically with Go-Ahead itself, 83% of the company is stock market-owned. What will happen is that the public service, the taxpayer in effect, will end up subsidising these jobs because many of the workers will have to claim the working family payment. The Minister has nobbled Dublin Bus as well. It is only allowed to make a profit of €1 million and must run its fleet on that. The NTA takes anything above that. Dublin Bus increases its passengers and generates revenue of €20 million and the NTA takes back €19 million. How is this allowing the public service in any way to compete?

The Minister may not be a friend of Mr. O'Leary - I will rephrase that - but he is certainly an admirer and has tweeted very approvingly about the activities of the Ryanair boss, just voted the worst boss in history. My concern is for workers and commuters, who will not have services when they need them.

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