Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 280: To ask the Minister for Transport the reason given by him in letters to Dublin Bus for them to discontinue three 25X departures during peak hours in the morning from Lucan to the city centre; the reason he concluded that these departures were not in keeping with competition, notification rules or transport legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20802/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I refer to my replies to Questions Nos. 135 on the 9 April 2008, and 160 on 23 April 2008 in which I advised that my Department has made no demand on Dublin Bus to cease any of its authorised route 25X departures operating from the south Lucan area.

As advised in those replies, the initiation or alteration of a bus service by Dublin Bus is subject to compliance with the requirement of giving advance notice to my Department and to compliance with the provisions of Section 25 of the Transport Act 1958 concerning competition with licensed private operators.

No prior notice of the introduction of those particular services was given by Dublin Bus to my Department. For that reason my Department wrote to Dublin Bus on 4 October 2007 requesting that three additional Route 25X departures which the Company was operating from the Newcastle Road Area, which were not subject to the authorisation of my Department should cease. The letter indicated that an application for the authorisation of those services should be made and would be considered. To date no such application has been made to my Department.