I welcome the announcement today that Ulster Bank and An Post are to link up to provide some banking services in post offices. It is good news for towns where banks are closing branches and good news for small post office which are under pressure. There has been concern about the closure of post offices in rural areas.

I echo the concern of Senator Darragh O'Brien about the prospect of a €30 million tender to operate bus services. It seems that would mean that 150 buses would have to be put off the road.

It is ridiculous.

For what is the €30 million needed? In transport there are no economies of scale; small is beautiful. Transport policy should not be focused on size in terms of scale. People can build up a reputation, but the requirement to start with €30 million worth of buses parked outside seems to be wrong. We had that when a man by the name of Patton was operating a service from Dalkey to Dublin Airport but we gave his licence to a UK multinational instead. It seemed he was quite happily providing his neighbours with a bus service to the airport, but the Patton Flyer was taken off the road by the Department. The Department must be realistic about the way the real economy operates.