Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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504. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the tendering process for bus services to be privatised will include a requirement for successful bidders to accept the free travel pass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40600/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​It is incorrect to describe the on-going competitive tendering processes as privatisation. Nothing is being sold, services are not being deregulated and control remains with the National Transport Authority (NTA).

As the Deputy is aware,  it is a statutory function of the NTA to determine the appropriate mix of directly awarded and competitively tendered bus services. In line with its statutory authority, and following a public consultation process, the NTA announced in December 2013 that some 10% of routes currently operated by Dublin Bus and by Bus Éireann under their Direct Award contracts with the NTA would be subject to competitive tendering.

The tendering processes in respect of the three competitions are on-going and the NTA expect to announce the successful operators in 2017. The NTA will then enter into public transport services contracts with the successful operators and will apply the same level of control to tendered routes as it does to the routes which are at present operated by Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann under their respective contracts with the NTA.

The NTA will continue to determine routes, schedules, vehicle types and standards, fares and the customer service requirements, including acceptance of the free travel pass in respect of the bus services to be provided by the successful tenderers.