Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. McGarry. His curriculum vitae is quite impressive. He has built up a vast amount of experience during his working life, which is welcome. I admire the reasons he wishes to return and give something back to this company.

Was the position advertised on publicjobs.ie? Did Mr. McGarry apply for the job through publicjobs.ie? If so, did he have to undergo any interviews and, if so, how many?

I have been on this committee for almost two years and this is possibly the first time the marine sector has been before the committee. Sometimes we forget about it but it is an important industry. In 2012, it had a turnover of €4.2 billion and was a net contributor of €1.3 billion to our GDP, which is almost 0.7% of GDP. That is extremely important, no more so than now in the context of Brexit and the need for improved connectivity for our agrifood, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. Mr. McGarry referred to the Limerick-Foynes rail line. Representatives of Irish Rail appeared before the committee a few weeks ago when they identified, and we know it from national media reports, the serious and precarious financial situation of the company. Has Mr. McGarry had any interaction with them? Is this a pipe dream or is it realistic? There is also the upgrade of the Limerick to Foynes road. The port is part of the TEN-T network. Could Irish Rail and Transport Infrastructure Ireland avail of EU funding to help advance both of these projects?

Senator Ned O'Sullivan referred to the LNG project. This nation is 95% dependent on the UK for gas supply. Even in 2025 we will still be 85% dependent on the UK. Has the port made provision for importing liquefied natural gas? What is it doing with regard to its role in the storage of natural gas? A few months ago the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten, indicated that both the import and storage of liquefied natural gas are under serious consideration by his Department. The European Commission produced a paper a number of years ago entitled Europe's Seaports 2030: Challenges Ahead. One of the challenges is predicted high growth. With even modest assumptions of economic growth port cargo volumes are expected to increase by 50% by 2030. It is even more for the fast growing traffic of containers. How is the port equipped to deal with the prediction of high growth? The paper also refers to the challenges of the nature of shipping, with the size and complexity of the fleet increasing. Ultra large container ships are appearing as well as new types of roll-on/roll-off ferries and gas containers. Energy trades are changing, with a shift from oil and refined products towards gas, and there is the deployment of bigger vessels for short sea shipping. How does Mr. McGarry think his port is equipped to deal with the changing nature of shipping?

The paper produced by the EU Commission included an action plan with eight specified actions. I am sure Mr. McGarry is aware of it. Will he comment on how he proposes to implement those actions or are all of them relevant to the port?

How does the port comply with the new International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, SOLAS, weight certification from the International Maritime Organisation?

I have a question about Mr. McGarry's role on the board of Bus Éireann. How long was he a member of the board? He said he is pleased with how he contributed to the restructuring of Bus Éireann. However, we read in the newspapers yesterday that there is potential for further strike action in Bus Éireann due to some of the restructuring of which he was pleased to be a part. I am not trying to lay the blame on Mr. McGarry exclusively. We accept that something had to be done with Bus Éireann, but it is still not resolved. It is still a big issue. While the maritime industry has not been on the committee's agenda for two years, Bus Éireann certainly was. It is an issue that affects hundreds of thousands of people daily. Perhaps Mr. McGarry will share his insights with the committee on how, as a member of the board of Bus Éireann, he envisages it being put on a sustainable footing and also on how to get buy-in from the people we rely on to ensure that Bus Éireann is effective, reliable and fit for purpose in terms of serving the passengers who rely on it.