Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 201: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the use of bus lanes by Ministers; his plans to alter this provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38147/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As part of plans to reduce Government costs, this Government decided, on coming to power, to set an example by withdrawing State cars from all members of the Cabinet except the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence. It is estimated that this will result in an annual saving of €4m per annum to the State. Other members of the Government, and the Ceann Comhairle, now provide their own cars. State cars are driven by Gardaí, and as such receive exemptions from a wide range of traffic and parking regulations. Among other exemptions, Gardaí have the right to use bus lanes. As a consequence, with civilian rather than Garda drivers, Ministers no longer had the exemptions which applied to their predecessors.

The Government subsequently decided that, in order to facilitate the business of Government and the Dáil, members of the Government, the Attorney General, Ministers of State who regularly attend Cabinet (i.e. the Chief Whip and super-junior Minister - no other Minister of State has this right), and the Ceann Comhairle, should only be allowed to retain the traffic exemption of travelling in with-flow bus lanes, while on official business. This is not some new privilege. It means that Ministers, like their predecessors, can avail of bus lanes whilst on official business to get to official functions on time.

This measure was introduced by the Road Traffic (Bus Lanes)(Exemption Regulations 2011) (S.I. No. 527 of 2011).