Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 82: To ask the Minister for Transport his plans to implement the recommendations of the Commissioner for Aviation Regulation in his report in 2009 on reform of the licensing and bonding arrangements for travel agents and tour operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42721/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, in 2008 I requested the Commission for Aviation Regulation to undertake a review of travel trade licensing and bonding regulations. The review by CAR concluded that any reduction in the level of the bond required by travel agents would increase the likelihood of further calls on the Travel Protection Fund (TPF), which has been called upon following a number of collapses in the industry in 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010, even at current bond levels.

In November 2009, as part of the Review of the Consumer Aqcuis, the Directorate General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO) of the European Commission launched a review of the Package Travel Directive. The Commission is assessing the different policy options, with the aim of presenting a possible proposal for revising the current legislation at the beginning of 2011.

Given this development, there would not appear to be any merit in undertaking reform of the bonding regime at this time without a clearer understanding of what the Commission is proposing in this area.