Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I think that might have been Deputy Catherine Murphy's phone as she left. The witnesses are very welcome. It has been quite a long morning for them so I will try to be brief. The Chairman referred to the fact that we have three male witnesses and inquired about gender balance on the board. That question has been answered but have any of the companies carried out a review of the gender pay gap? RTÉ thought it did not have a problem until it began to look at the issue closely. Have the boards considered the issue of a gender pay gap? I know many of the employees are paid a specific rate, such as that for bus drivers, but there are also many managerial roles and senior executives in the companies. Have the companies commissioned a review of the gender pay gap and, if so, when do they expect to get the results?

We talked about the investment needed for Irish Rail. Could the witnesses outline what they are bringing to the table? Irish Rail recently put out to tender a joint development on some of its lands at Grand Canal Harbour where the development of an office block is being considered. Landbanks are also a factor in several other locations across the network. What contribution will that make to the investment in infrastructure? I am aware of the commercial sensitivities in this regard but is it possible to get a global figure for the entire landbank assets?

Has Dublin Bus commissioned a review of its land banks, assessed what is there and what can be brought to the table in terms of investment and making sure the company is maximising the returns from the landbanks? I am not saying Dublin Bus should close any stations but the company must examine whether it is utilising the spaces it has in the best way possible. If a review has been commissioned, are the results accessible? How long ago is it since the issue was examined? The property situation has changed significantly.

In terms of Dublin Bus, there has been a change with the National Transport Authority, NTA, and I wonder what is the bottom line. In future, its rolling stock will not go onto its balance sheet. It will stay on the NTA balance sheet, unlike Irish Rail where its rolling stock will stay on its balance sheet. Is there a contractual basis to the relationship with the NTA in terms of maintenance and servicing of the fleet and will it have a financial impact on Dublin Bus? Currently, buses are maintained to a high standard and safety checks are part of that. Is the NTA placing an additional onus on Dublin Bus given that it will own the stock? What effect will that have on the balance sheet of Dublin Bus? The NTA has also been given a role in terms of branding the bus service across the city. Dublin Bus has invested a lot of money on branding and delivery of service. Do the witnesses see branding as being a source of conflict between the NTA and Dublin Bus and will it damage the current branding of Dublin Bus?

In terms of Irish Rail, electrification is something we all hope will happen. I know some of its rolling stock has been approved for refurbishment. When will a decision have to be made on commissioning additional rolling stock? How long is the lead-in time for that stock? We can see an increasing demand and decisions will have to be made for 2021 onwards. If the company does not get approval to order extra carriages, can we have electrification without the rolling stock? A degree of planning is required.

Expressway routes have been under significant pressure from commercial operators especially given that they do not have to stop at any towns and villages on the route. Have any hub developments been considered for Expressway? That is short and sweet and I will leave it at that.