Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 32: To ask the Minister for Transport when he will publish the legislation establishing the Dublin Transport Authority; the proposed heads of the Dublin Transport Authority Bill; when he will publish the Public Transport Regulation Bill, the Bus Licensing Bill and the Road Traffic Bill; the purpose and heads of each of these bills; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9633/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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It is my intention to publish the Dublin Transport Authority Bill, to provide for the establishment of a transport authority for the Greater Dublin Area, in April 2008.

The primary focus of the proposed Public Transport Regulation Bill will be to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to improving bus services under 'Transport 21' by reforming the bus licensing provisions of the Road Transport Act 1932 and the Transport Act 1958 to facilitate the optimum provision of services by providing a level playing field for all bus market participants, both public and private. At this stage it is too early to be precise on the detail of the proposals except to confirm that any new licensing regime will be designed in a manner consistent with the new EU Regulation on Public Service Obligations in the transport sector, which was adopted in 2007 and will come into force in December 2009.

Work is at an early stage on the drafting of a Road Traffic Bill 2008. It is hoped to bring proposals to Government in the summer. The Bill will deal with a number of road safety issues including a reduction in the blood alcohol level.