Chairman:

We are now in public session. Before we begin, I remind members, visitors and those in the Gallery to ensure their mobile phones are switched off - as distinct from being on silent or flight mode - for the duration of the meeting as they interfere with the broadcasting equipment. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I welcome the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, and his officials and thank them for attending. The briefing material has been circulated to members. I ask the Minister to start with programme B, the land transport item, and then follow with programmes A and C to E, inclusive. We will fix a time for each programme. I call on the Minister to make a brief opening statement on each item and will then allow members to contribute.

The roster we had in place, which worked well at the previous meeting, was Government, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, AAA-PBP, Social Democrats and back to the start again. That is if someone indicates. If someone does not indicate, we will skip on to the next person. I ask the Minister to begin.