Vol. 203 No. 2
asked the Minister for Transport and Power why CIE have decided to hand over the Hill of Howth bus service to private operators; what advantage, if any, will be gained by local residents from this; and if he will guarantee that there will be no disimprovement of existing services and no increase in fares.
21.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether, further to the decision of Córas Iompair Éireann to advertise its willingness to hand over the Hill of Howth bus service to a private operator, the company have under consideration the handing over of any of its other passenger or goods services to private operators, and, if so, what services.
22.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether it is now the general policy of Córas Iompair Éireann to endeavour to transfer uneconomic services to private operators; and whether they also intend handing over economic services to private operators.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 21 and 22 together.
CIE informed me some time ago that because of the losses on the Hill of Howth bus services they were anxious to transfer the services to any operator who would be willing to operate them.
The transfer of the services in this manner would require the issue of a road passenger licence or licences by me under the Road Transport Act, 1932. I informed CIE that if they could find an experienced private operator who could be depended upon to provide a regular public service with an acceptable timetable and at acceptable charges I would not rule out the possibility that the service might be transferred to him. I made it clear to the board, however, that I would not in any circumstances visualise a position in which the residents of the Hill of Howth and the summer visitors would be deprived of a regular bus service and that in advance of any transfer I would expect from CIE an undertaking that they would immediately resume operations in the event that the private operator ceased to provide services or failed to comply with the conditions of any licence which I might grant to him.
So far as I am aware CIE do not at present contemplate the handing over of any other services, economic or uneconomic, to private enterprise.
Did I understand the Minister to say that were CIE to close down this service he would intervene?
I said I would not grant a licence to a private operator unless I were convinced the charges were satisfactory.
If CIE decide to close down, has the Minister any function then?
I made it clear that CIE should not close down the bus service.
Has the Minister any power to prevent them?
I have a general power in regard to the Transport Act——
That is the first time we have heard it from the Minister.
——but it does not relate to the rail services closed down and substituted for by bus services. There is a general provision in the Transport Act in relation to buses.
