Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Norris. My point is that it is important that we discuss these two issues separately. Today might be a little soon for that, but the fact is that proposals regarding public bus services should not be included on page 60 of a Bill dealing with the regulation of the taxi industry.

There is an urgency about this issue. The last time a similar proposal was put to the House, in 2009, the Bill in question was guillotined and sent to the then President, Mary McAleese, for immediate signature. As a consequence, direct award contracts - as opposed to competitive tendering - were implemented for five years, with those contracts set to expire in 2014. We must have an opportunity for a full debate on the future of public bus service provision, as opposed to discussing an amendment that is merely an appendage to unrelated legislative provisions. The manner in which non-competitive awards of bus contracts were given out in 2009 was most unsatisfactory. We are in danger of the same happening again and, moreover, it is being done in an underhand manner in an unrelated Bill.