Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I support the amendment. I had not quite understood the difference between the two words but I understand why the amendment, to delete "licence" and substitute "contract", has been proposed. This Bill does not apply to services which are the subject of a public transport service contract entered into under section 48 of the 2008 Act. The Minister of State might correct me on that.

These service contracts are for any public transport where there is an element of public service obligation, and these include all the activities of Dublin Bus, the vast majority of activities of Bus Éireann and under the 2008 Act, the Dublin Transport Authority, soon to be renamed the national transport authority, will enter into a long-term public service contract of ten or more years for the provision of these services. The CIE group will continue to provide these services when the 2008 Act is commenced.

Will the Minister of State assure me of the implications of this? The effort of this amendment, which was explained well by Senator Cannon, is aimed at doing this precisely.