Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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549. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of full-time, service bus drivers there are in Bus Éireann. [52499/13]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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550. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of managers of all grades there are in Bus Éireann; and if he will provide a breakdown of numbers of managers per grade. [52500/13]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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558. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a recommendation arising from the Labour Relations Commission of 16 May 2013 on proposals to resolve the dispute at Bus Éireann included a joint initiative to maximise operational effectiveness; this initiative was to establish a new and appropriate mechanism to regularly exchange views and develop actions to impact on maximising performance of the company's assets. [52508/13]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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559. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that even though all grades of staff, after ballots were held, and including Bus Éireann management accepted the Labour Relations Commission, the joint initiative to maximise operational effectiveness has not been put into place. [52509/13]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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560. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will use his office to ensure the joint initiative to maximise operational effectiveness will come into being in the immediate future. [52510/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 549, 550 and 558 to 560, inclusive, together.

The issues raised are matters for Bus Éireann and I have forwarded the Deputy's questions to the company for direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive replies within ten working days.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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551. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reduction in driver staff he expects if the proposed National Transport Authority plan for 10% of routes transferring to private operators goes ahead. [52501/13]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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552. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reduction of management personnel that is expected if the National Transport Authority's proposed 10% reduction of Bus Éireann routes goes ahead. [52502/13]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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553. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether there will be complex questions arising from the proposed use of TUPE in the case of staff transferred into a private operator. [52503/13]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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554. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if TUPE is to be used, if the Bus Éireann staff transferred into any private operator will be allowed to transfer back into Bus Éireann in the event of a private operator having a contract withdrawn by the National Transport Authority or any other authority. [52504/13]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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555. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views that as stakeholders in this process the Bus Éireann drivers' views and concerns should be considered during any proposed process by the National Transport Authority at present and into the future. [52505/13]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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556. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the National Transport Authority has not met with either the Bus Éireann drivers or their union representatives; if he will use his position/influence to arrange such a meeting at the earliest opportunity. [52506/13]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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557. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether Bus Éireann has met all of the targets and requirements, consistently achieving 95% to 98% of target levels, as set down by the National Transport Authority in its quarterly reports. [52507/13]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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570. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the rationale underpinning the decision to increase the number of Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus routes that will be open to tender by private operators; if he will provide details of the tendering process that will be in place for these routes. [52861/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 551 to 557, inclusive, and 570 together.

The objective of Government is to ensure a system of public transport throughout the country that is as efficient and as widespread as possible and the National Transport Authority has a key role in realising this objective. The award of Public Service Obligation (PSO) contracts for the bus market falls under the independent statutory remit of the National Transport Authority (NTA), which has direct responsibility for this area.  The direct award contracts for the provision of PSO bus market services held by Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann expire late next year. The awarding of the licences for the services thereafter is a matter for the NTA  and not for Government, but I have kept the Cabinet updated on the process. Both Minister Kelly and I met with trade unions representing workers in Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann on 21st November last in relation to the proposals outlined by the NTA in the recent consultation process. On the 5th of December, in accordance with the provisions of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the NTA announced that about 10% of publicly subvented (PSO) bus services will be tendered out with the new services commencing in the summer of 2016.

It is recognised that there are a number of concerns in relation to potential tendering for PSO services.  These include the impact on industrial relations and cost savings measures within CIE at a general level and the specific implications of Transfer of Undertakings legislation (TUPE) and related issues.  However, it must be recognised that the proposals outlined in the consultation process are relatively modest and there will be a long-lead in before any tendering takes effect. Furthermore, it is of course open to the two incumbent companies to compete for any tendered routes, so it should not be assumed that there will be any reductions in staff numbers or that TUPE will even arise.

Following the announcement by the NTA on 5th December, these issues need to be addressed by it and the bus companies through constructive engagement with the unions in the course of the procurement process over the next two years.  I undertook to the trade unions at our meeting that I would contact the NTA to seek to have such a structured engagement put in place and I wrote to the Chairman of the NTA on 26th November to that end. It is important to remember that it will be open to Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus to tender for these contracts. The winning tenderer will be required to deliver a specified service under which the timetables, fares and standards of service will be set down by the NTA. The intention is that a better service can be procured for the same PSO subvention that is currently provided, or that the same service can be provided for a lesser cost to the tax-payer.