Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 May 2010
219 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Transport the amount of public service obligation funding that is allocated to Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann for 2010; the percentage funding that is given to private operators north of Letterkenny, north of Dungloe, and on the Inishowen Peninsula, County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21514/10]
View answerThe allocation of the Public Service Obligation (PSO) provision for 2010 has been agreed between the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the CIÉ operating companies as follows:
Iarnród Éireann, €155.43 million;
Bus Átha Cliath, €75.90 million;
Bus Éireann, €44.69 million.
CIÉ has a statutory mandate under various Transport Acts to provide PSO services passenger services. The NTA governs the funding of these PSO services through the Public Service Contracts which are in place between Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus. These contracts set strict standards for operational performance and customer service and contain penalties for non-performance. Currently no Exchequer funding is provided to private operators but it is expected that the NTA would tender any new routes requiring additional public subsidy over and above that provided for within existing PSO contracts.
