As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 it is a statutory function of the National Transport Authority (NTA) to procure public transport services by means of Public Service Obligation (PSO) contracts.
In light of the Authority's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's specific question in relation to the competitive tendering process for PSO bus services to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.