Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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43. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if, in conjunction with the National Transport Authority (NTA), he will carry out and publish a full review of loss-making routes on which private bus carriers currently operate, including the number of private licences issued on these routes, when these licences were issued and when these routes ceased to make a profit due to over-saturation; if he will provide for the NTA to review the renewal of such licences that are making a loss; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6102/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the National Transport Authority (NTA) is the regulator of the bus market in Ireland.  Responsibility for the licensing of public bus passenger services was transferred from my Department to the NTA in 2010, under the provisions of the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009. I would like to refer to the Deputy's inference that loss making routes arise from an over-supply of licences in the commercial bus market.  This is simply not the case.  Over the period 2011 to 2016, the NTA have issued 8 licenses and refused 11 applications. The changes to the regulation of the bus market has had, without question, a positive effect on the experience of the travelling public. They have benefitted from more services, better frequencies and lower prices.

This is not hearsay. People have chosen to use these improved services in increasing numbers - in 2015 almost 23 million people used commercial bus services which was a 9.5% increase on the previous year. More people using public transport is a good thing.

The NTA is responsible, under statute, for making decisions about licensing and have been very effective in the execution of functions under the relevant legislation. The benefits of the current regulated competition model are continuing to accrue benefits for public transport customers. While I have no plans to change the underlying policy in relation to the current regime, the Programme for Government does contain a commitment to conduct an overall review of public transport policy to ensure that services are sustainable into the future and capable of fully meeting the needs of a modern economy, and work on this be carried out this year.