Written answers

Wednesday, 17 June 2015

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Public Transport Provision

Photo of Dessie EllisDessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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19. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the legislative problems identified by the National Bus and Rail Union with the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, relating to public tendering of bus services; and the efforts that are being made to correct this. [23236/15]

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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NBRU and SIPTU difficulties with the tendering of public bus services included a concern that current legislation referred to by the Deputy would compel the National Transport Authority (NTA) to tender the remaining 90% of PSO bus routes, in other words all PSO routes, after the end of 2019 and that it would be impossible for further direct award contracts to be put in place. I have stated publicly that this was not the intention of the Oireachtas when the legislation was passed.

Government's policy is for the NTA to procure bus services through a combination of direct award and tendering in the best interests of quality services, integrated public transport and to serve the needs of the travelling public.  My Department has received advice from the Attorney General which states that Government policy can be implemented through the existing legislation and that the NTA is not precluded from entering into a further direct award contract with the two bus companies at the end of 2019.

At the LRC discussion concluded on the 14th May last to address Trade Union concerns on these matters, my Department committed to identifying how best to build confidence in the scope of the legislation, taking account of requirements of EU law and considering the views that have been expressed by the Unions. This process will be completed by the end of 2015 and will inform any actions that may be required to ensure that Government policy is implemented as intended. Appropriate clarification will be provided to the relevant parties upon completion of this process.

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