Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to share my time with Senator Paschal Mooney.

I welcome Mr. Ultan Courtney and thank him sincerely for appearing before the joint committee. I, too, have just had the opportunity to go through his background. As the Chairman said, it is fantastic that a person who started out in the company as a bus conductor has gone on to become chairman. That speaks volumes for the skills and qualities he has developed. That he has been through a period of additional learning in that time will stand to the company extremely well. I wish him well in his endeavours. We will certainly support him in every way we can.

I wish to set out some of the important issues from my party's perspective. Maintaining a public transport network is hugely important. This is challenged by the capacity of the State to provide subvention for the company. Mr. Courtney was appointed by the Government and at the same time as he becomes chairman he takes on a completely different role. I would have thought there would some be friction between him and the Government in that he has to continuously pushing for more resources, not just to maintain the same level of service but to expand it in line with growth in the economy and also to deal with the competition. How does Mr. Courtney intend to respond to that dynamic? How does he intend to develop a public transport system at a time when part of Government policy looks towards privatisation, something of which I am not in favour, but it is the reality?