Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

43. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current schedule for the tendering of 10% of Dublin Bus routes by the National Transport Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38835/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

​It is the responsibility of the National Transport Authority (NTA) to conduct the current public procurement process relating to the tendering out of 10% of the PSO bus network. NTA is undertaking this by way of three separate competitions and has now completed the pre-qualification phase of each, and candidates have been informed.  The NTA has issued formal invitations to tender in respect of the Dublin Metropolitan competition and tenders are due by end-January 2017.  It is planned that documentation for the other two competitions - Dublin commuter and Waterford - will issue by end year, with proposals to be evaluated during Quarter 1 2017.Anticipating the timeline to complete the competitions is not straightforward; it seems that completing tender assessments and negotiations and awarding contracts and then mobilising new operators, including securing depots, will take at least 12 months and could well be longer.  I am told that, at this stage, it is expected that contracts will be awarded in mid-2017 with services coming into operation in late 2017 and during 2018.  Each competition can commence services independently of the other two.   The tendering processes underway should allow us to capture potential benefits as regards value for money in terms of the use of taxpayers' money in securing the provision of public services, and I look forward to the NTA's successful progression of all three competitions.