Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 206: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will provide a breakdown of the subsidy provision made to Bus Éireann in 2009 and the subsidy provided to other rural transport providers in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37829/09]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Transport the subsidy provision made to Bus Éireann for 2009; the number of passengers carried by Bus Éireann from 2004 to 2008 and the estimated passengers for 2009 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37830/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 206 and 207 together.

The provision for Exchequer subvention to CIÉ for 2009 is €303.189m of which approximately €45m will be allocated to Bus Éireann. The amount is not broken down by reference to routes or areas.

Funding of €11m is being provided for the Rural Transport Programme (RTP) in 2009. Pobal, which administers the RTP on behalf of my Department, is working with 36 individual rural transport groups around the country. Neither I nor my Department have any role in relation to the day-to-day management of the Programme, including allocating funds to particular groups or services. The number of passengers, excluding school children, carried by Bus Éireann from 2004 to 2009 is contained in the following table.

*estimate

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 208: To ask the Minister for Transport if applications have been lodged for a licence to operate a bus service on a route (details supplied); the name of the applicants; the status of such applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37843/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Road Transport Act provides the statutory basis for regulating the provision of public bus services. In accordance with that legislation, private bus operators apply to my Department for licences to operate scheduled bus passenger services within the State. Applications are dealt with in date order from the date of their receipt.

Two applications have been lodged with my Department for bus services to operate on the route in question. Following the consideration of the first application, a licence offer was issued by my Department on 16th January 2009, in which certain restrictions to the overall proposals made by that operator were proposed. In a response dated 19th June 2009 the operators declined to accept the terms of the offer and, as previously informed on 12th June 2009, no further consideration was given to their application.

My Department is currently finalising the consideration of the second application from another operator for an express service between Dalkey and Dublin Airport and the licence is expected to be issued shortly. Details of applications are confidential until a licence is issued.