Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Question 257: To ask the Minister for Transport the position regarding an application for licensing of a bus service (details supplied) between Dalkey and Dublin Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45302/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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As I advised the Deputy in my previous reply of 16th June 2009, my Department made an offer in January 2009 for the grant of a licence in respect of the bus service to which the Deputy refers, which seeks to operate between Dalkey and Dublin Airport. That service is known as "The Patton Flyer". That offer did not include certain of the stops sought by the applicants in respect of their proposed service, as these stops were already being served by a previously licensed bus service being operated by Aircoach that connects the locations in question with Dublin Airport.

The Patton Flyer operators lodged an appeal in February 2009 against the terms of the offer made by my Department and also sought to add additional stops to the proposed service. The appeal was considered and a licence offer was made in May 2009, which again excluded those stops which conflicted with the licensed Aircoach service. The Patton Flyer operators wrote to the Department on 19 June 2009 rejecting the licence offer.

Notwithstanding the fact that the operators of the Patton Flyer service have rejected an offer for the grant of a licence, they continue to operate an unlicensed service. The Patton Flyer service is not licensed, Dublin Airport Authority have been made aware of this as have the Gardaí Síochána.