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

I have met Mr. Barry on a number of occasions - at the opening of the N52, the opening of the M4, the opening of the M6 - when he was CEO of the National Roads Authority. At that time, there were significant sums being invested in the road infrastructure and one can see the benefits. We are reaping the benefits of it. Certainly, it is much easier to get around the country than it was in the past.

Mr. Barry is now looking to move into a new role. In Mr. Barry's view, is it the National Transport Authority's role to devise or implement policy? Often there is a tendency for State companies, such as Dublin Bus, CIÉ or Irish Rail, to state that they are only implementing the role of the National Transport Authority and sometimes political personnel can deflect matters to the National Transport Authority. My belief is that it is the job of the Members of the Dáil to bring forward policy and it is the responsibility of the National Transport Authority to implement that policy. I would welcome Mr. Barry's opinion on that.

Mr. Barry quite rightly identified that transport faces many challenges, not least the challenge of how to ensure that we have a proper integrated public transport network that will be environmentally friendly, energy efficient, affordable and reliable. I ask Mr. Barry's opinion in that regard, as every Government, be it this one or the next one, will have a limited pot of funding. How does Mr. Barry envisage being able to meet the challenges of public transport from a financial perspective? When he was CEO of the NRA, Mr. Barry used, one might say, quite rightly, public private partnerships to the maximum benefit. Can public private partnerships be used to a greater extent to fund the much needed investment in infrastructure?

Mr. Barry cited strategy planning. One of the big issues we face now is homelessness, the lack of affordable housing and sustainable development in the housing sector. Transport has a pivotal role to play in addressing these challenges and I would welcome Mr. Barry's opinion on that.

Cycling is not often mentioned but anyone who commutes in and out of Dublin city sees the significant increase in the number who have taken up cycling as their preferred mode of transport. Less than 1% of the overall national budget is attributable to cycling. Is that right? Is it sustainable?

I will have to go to ask a question but I will be back.