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 future competitive tendering processes to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.