Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 287: To ask the Minister for Transport the number of applications for bus licences within Dublin and outside of Dublin that have been submitted to his Department and are awaiting approval; when a decision will be made on each of these licences; the way he proposes to reform the 1932 bus licensing legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29072/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Between 1st January, 2007 and 30th June, 2008, my Department received a total of 340 applications from private operators for new routes and a total of 150 applications from private operators to amend existing routes.

My Department currently has on hands the following outstanding cases: — 36 applications for new routes (of which 9 are in the Dublin area); 39 applications to amend existing routes (of which 5 are in the Dublin area)

In addition to the cases referred to above, my Department has on hands a total of 36 offers of licences made to private operators, that are awaiting outstanding documentation from the applicants before the licences can issue.

It is not possible to give a definitive timeframe for the outstanding cases. In some circumstances, while the preliminary work may have been completed on a particular application, a final decision cannot be made until other relevant applications or notifications from State Companies received prior to it have been finalised.

In some cases, the application process can be delayed where relevant information is not provided by an applicant, such as an updated Road Passenger Transport Operators Licence, current Public Service Vehicle Licences and approvals from the Garda under the Road Traffic Acts for pick-up and/or set-down points.

The Dublin Transportation Authority Bill is currently in its final stages, in the Houses of the Oireachtas. The next stage in this reform process is legislation to amend the Road Transport Act, 1932 which provides the statutory basis for regulating the provision of public bus services by private bus operators.

I envisage that the new licensing regime will apply in respect of all commercial bus services, including those provided by Dublin Bus. The new Bill will also encompass provisions relating to the subvented bus market outside the Greater Dublin Area that are consistent with the new EU PSO Regulation.