Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

While the provisions of section 20 set out arrangements through which existing commercial services being operated by Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and private operators can be brought within the new licensing regime, it came to the attention of the Department in the course of recent discussions that a further provision was desirable to cater for bus licence applications that may be submitted to the Department in the period between the establishment of the authority and the repeal of the Road Transport Act 1932 and the commencement of provisions to facilitate the introduction of the new bus licensing regime.

The purpose of the new section 27 is to provide a transitional arrangement to facilitate the consideration of applications for a public bus passenger licence made to the Minister under section 8 of the 1932 Act that have not been decided on the date of the repeal of the 1932 Act and the introduction of the new bus licensing regime under Part 2 of the Bill, which will be administered by the authority. Given that such applicants will have applied under the 1932 regime, there will be an expectation that they should be considered under that regime and the proposed section provides for this.