Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I have two questions. One is about the 10%. How sure is the witness that she is comparing like with like in respect of competitiveness?

I imagine with the reduction in the subvention that services have been pared back to the minimum. That is part of the reason there were fare increases and so forth. When one looks at back-up services, the quality of transport and wage rates, is it a fair comparison?

On rail, what is being counted in the comparison with the US cities? Is it increased insurance and congestion costs? I accept we are quite dispersed and there is a fair comparison. Are these other elements, however, being counted which will carry costs such as climate obligations and increased insurance costs which have a knock-on effect on doing business and cost of living?