Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Transport when the Dublin Transportation Authority will be established; if it will have authority over CIÉ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35809/06]

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 19: To ask the Minister for Transport when he proposes to establish the Dublin Transportation Authority; the consultation he has had with the four Dublin local authorities and the local authorities in the Dublin commuter belt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35761/06]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for Transport when he expects to appoint the new regulator for the Dublin bus market; and if that regulator will operate within the Dublin Transport Authority. [35859/06]

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 49: To ask the Minister for Transport when he expects to establish the new Dublin Transportation Authority; and the way in which, in the absence of a legislative mandate, he expects same to operate in the interim. [35858/06]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 19, 39 and 49 together.

The Minister for Transport established a Team following the launch of Transport 21 to make recommendations on the establishment of a transport authority for the Greater Dublin Area. He also asked the team to give advice on the content of legislation required to establish such an Authority and to make recommendations on what interim arrangements should be put in place pending the enactment of the legislation. The Team reported to the Minister earlier this year.

Before finalising its report, the Team engaged in a consultation with relevant stakeholders, including the city and county managers of the local authorities in the Greater Dublin Area, whom I understand had two meetings with the Team and who also submitted their views to them in a written submission. Members of the Team also met with the Lord Mayor and the Chairpersons of the Strategic Policy Committees of Dublin City Council, at their request. The Dublin and Mid-East Regional Authorities also made written submissions.

The Government, having considered the report, approved the drafting of legislation to establish a Dublin Transport Authority on a statutory basis. Substantial progress has been made in recent months in preparing draft legislation.

The Government decided in September that the new Dublin Transport Authority would undertake the regulation of the bus market and future decisions on the allocation of all public subsidies for bus services in the Greater Dublin Area. Provisions to give effect to this decision are being incorporated in the draft legislation to establish the Dublin Transport Authority.

The Government gave a commitment in the Ten-Year Framework Social Partnership Agreement "Towards 2016" to engage in consultation with interested parties during the drafting of the legislation. In accordance with this commitment the Minister intends shortly to publish the report of the Dublin Transport Authority Establishment Team and undertake a short intensive consultation process with interested parties before finalising his legislative proposals to establish the Authority on a statutory basis.

It is the Minister's intention to publish a Bill establishing the Dublin Transport Authority before Christmas.

The Minister is currently considering the establishment of an interim Authority with a mandate to progress the putting in place of necessary organisational arrangements, such as the recruitment of a senior management team, prior to the enactment of legislation. It is not envisaged that the interim Authority would seek to discharge substantive functions pending the enactment of legislation to provide statutory authority for its work.