Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 498: To ask the Minister for Transport the number of operators licensed by his Department to carry passengers by private or public hire; the number of such bus operators who have vehicles in their fleet that are not registered with his Department in view of the recent tragedy in Clara, County Offaly; and the steps he is taking to regularise this unacceptable situation. [14807/06]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The number of current road passenger transport operator licences issued by my Department, as of 19 April 2006 — the latest date for which figures are available — is 1,811.

There is a statutory obligation on all licensed operators to ensure that all of the vehicles in their fleet comply fully with the appropriate licensing requirements. Any bus operator who acquires new or replacement vehicles must have those vehicles authorised on their licence before they can be legally operated as part of their passenger transport business. It is not possible to say how many operators have unauthorised vehicles and which have not applied to the Department to have those vehicles licensed.

Persons engaging bus operators should request from the operator sight of the operator's road passenger transport operator's licence to ensure that the operator holds a valid licence and that the vehicles used in any service are authorised on the licence. Also, each vehicle authorised on a licence is required to display a high visibility disc on the vehicle, identifying it as authorised on a licence by my Department.

Enforcement of the licensing requirements for road passenger operators is a matter for the Garda Síochána and my Department. My Department will increase over the course of this year from nine to 18 the number of transport officers who work with gardaí on checkpoints to ensure that operators comply with the law.