Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 292: To ask the Minister for Transport the response of his Department to each individual recommendation in respect of the recommendations contained within the Consumer Strategy Group report directed to his Department; if the recommendations have as of today been implemented in full, in part, or not at all; if, of those recommendations which have not been implemented to date, he will implement them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42256/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Transport is actively pursuing a public transport regulatory reform process, which, in broad terms, accords with the recommendations concerning passenger transport made by the Consumer Strategy Group — see Part 2, Chapter 4 of the Group's report. The first stage of that process involves the establishment of a Dublin Transport Authority (DTA). In this regard the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 became law earlier this year. Accordingly, for the first time we have the law in place to ensure that a single body will be in charge of surface transport in the Greater Dublin Area. The DTA will be established during 2009.

The DTA will assume responsibility from the Department of Transport and the Railway Procurement Agency for the procurement of bus, rail, metro and light rail public passenger transport services in accordance with a legislative framework that is consistent with Regulation (EC) No. 1370/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2007.

A major objective of the 2008 Act is the delivery of an integrated public transport network. This will be achieved in a number of ways. For example the DTA will take over direct responsibility for the implementation of integrated ticketing. The DTA will be obliged to implement a single public transport brand by operators across the various public transport modes. It will also have responsibility for developing an integrated information system, providing a single integrated source of travel planning information for public transport users. There is also provision for the implementation by the DTA of a fares scheme in the Greater Dublin Area. The Act also makes provision for representation by transport users on the Dublin Transport Authority Advisory Council.

The next stage of the reform process will involve the assignment of responsibility for bus licensing and public transport service contracts nationwide to the DTA. Government approval for the drafting of the necessary legislation will be sought shortly. It is also proposed that the Commission for Taxi Regulation as well as the functions envisaged in the Programme for Government for a National Transport Regulator will be absorbed into the DTA under this legislation.