Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 44: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will report on his decision to award a Galway to Dublin licence for 14 services a day to a company (details supplied) while the company's alleged breaches of the 1932 Act were still [i]sub judice[/i]; the reason such a licence was granted at this stage and not left to the incoming National Transport Authority, the new bus regulator under the 2009 Act; if he has been informed of plans by the company to outsource the recently licensed Galway to Dublin route to another local operator; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26855/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Pending the commencement of the provisions of the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009 which deal with bus route licensing, my Department is bound by the existing statutory framework, as set out in the Road Transport Act 1932. I expect to be in a position to commence the relevant provisions Public Transport Regulation Act 2009 after the summer.

With regard to the application referred to by the Deputy, the processing of that application was completed without prejudice to any court proceedings, in accordance with legal advice received. The legal proceedings have since concluded. I can confirm that following the consideration of the application under the provisions of the Road Transport Act 1932, and in line with my Department's own guidelines relating to the grant of licences, a licence was granted to the bus company concerned on 21 April 2010 for the operation of a express service linking Galway to Dublin City and Dublin Airport. My Department is aware that the licence holder has sub-contracted service provision to another bus operator. This arrangement, which is a common one in the bus industry, was notified to my Department in accordance with the procedures set out in the current bus licensing guidelines.