Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 554: To ask the Minister for Transport his views on the recommendation in the Deloitte report on Dublin Bus that Dublin Bus has sufficient buses to meet demand in view of the decision of Dublin Bus to reduce fleet size by 120 buses since the publication of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30841/09]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 555: To ask the Minister for Transport the way the increase in the PSO payment from €16 million in 1999 to €80.6 million is accounted for in terms of annual inflation, increasing wage costs, increasing running costs and so on in view of the fact that by year end 2009 the number of buses in the Dublin Bus fleet will be nearly the same, after cutbacks, as the level in 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30842/09]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 556: To ask the Minister for Transport the amount of subvention that will be given to Dublin Bus in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30843/09]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 559: To ask the Minister for Transport if PSO payments to State bus companies have been increased to compensate for the cancellation of the fuel rebate scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30846/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 554 to 556, inclusive, and 559 together.

Dublin Bus have been allocated €82.4m in 2009 towards the cost of loss making economically and socially necessary services. The 2009 subvention to both Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann has not been increased to compensate for the withdrawal of the fuel duty rebate. The growth in the subvention paid to Dublin Bus over the period since 1999 reflects the growth in the number of services, particularly peak hour services provided, increased labour and fuel costs in particular and fare increases over that period.

The decision by Dublin Bus as part of its cost recovery plan, to reorganise its network to reflect changes in demand, based on 120 fewer buses is consistent with the conclusions in the Deloitte Report. The Deloitte report concluded that the Dublin Bus fleet is adequate to meet current demand, and that fleet expansion was not an immediate issue. Instead the Deloitte report concluded that the focus should be on optimising the existing network and extracting full value from the existing fleet. I understand that Dublin Bus are taking account of the Deloitte findings in the redesign of the network.