Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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40. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on potential privatisation of public transport. [36810/14]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Neither Dublin Bus nor Bus Éireann are being privatised. However, the direct award contracts for the provision of Public Service Obligation (PSO) bus market services held by the two companies expire later this year.  The awarding of subsequent contracts is the statutory responsibility of the National Transport Authority (NTA).  

All Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann routes will be included in the new five year direct award contracts which the NTA will enter into with the companies next December.  However, the NTA announced that 10% of publicly subvented bus services will only remain within the direct award contracts until the end of 2016 after which they will be operated under separate contracts that will have been competitively tendered.  

Tendering will give the opportunity to test market pricing and offer possibilities to improve efficiency and customer service. The contract will go to the best competent tenderer and it will be open to both Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann to tender for the services.

The NTA expects that  the procurement process for the routes to be tendered will begin in December 2014 leading to the award of the contract in March 2016 with the successful operator commencing services in late 2016.