Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will give a commitment that Dublin Bus will be protected from privatisation. [8817/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I have no plans to privatise Dublin Bus. However, in accordance with the commitment in the Programme for Government to explore the benefit to the public transport passenger of more diverse bus service provision, I am considering the various options that are currently available as regards achieving greater diversity of bus operators.

Under EU law and the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, as amended, existing public service obligation (PSO) bus and rail services can be procured by the National Transport Authority (NTA) through direct award contracts and any other new subvented services must be procured by way of open tendering. The direct award contract with Dublin Bus applies for 5 years. At the end of the 5 year period NTA has discretion to renew or modify the direct award provision of bus services following a consultation process with interested parties under which the NTA is obliged to justify its approach. Apart from the public service contract responsibilities granted to the NTA, the 2009 Act also conferred on the NTA responsibility for the licensing of commercial public bus passenger services. The NTA published, in November 2010, new Guidelines for the licensing of public bus services which set out the basis for a reformed licensing system for commercial bus passenger services in the State. The Guidelines identify commercial bus passenger services as a key part of public transport services in the State.

I will be consulting with my Ministerial colleagues on the future options for procurement of PSO bus services once I have completed my examination of the options. I hope to announce the outcome of those consultations in the coming months.