Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 255: To ask the Minister for Transport the names of the company or companies granted public transport licences, both for new routes and existing routes, each year since 2002 to date in 2006; the routes for which such licences were granted; the number of licences granted to each company in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43215/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Road Transport Act, 1932 provides the legislative basis for the licensing of coach and bus services provided by private bus operators. Bus services provided by Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus are not subject to the provisions of the 1932 Act. However, both companies are required by Ministerial direction under the Transport Act 1958 to notify my Department of proposed new services or proposed changes to existing services and require my consent where a service competes with an existing authorised service by another operator.

The numbers of passenger licences issued for new routes and the number of amendments to existing licensed routes finalised in the years 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and to date in 2006 are shown in the following table.

In view of the short notice involved, it has not been possible for my Department to provide all of the detailed data requested by the Deputy in this reply. However the Department will contact the Deputy directly to discuss the provision of additional information.