Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Apologies have been received from Deputies Éamon Ó Cuív and Martin Kenny. I remind members, witnesses and the people in the Gallery to turn off their mobile phones because they interfere gravely with the sound system. I ask everyone to take a moment to check their phones.

The committee has included road connectivity and, in particular, rural transport among its priority policy issues for 2018. This is our third meeting on rural transport. We met officials from the National Transport Authority, NTA, on 28 March last and we met officials from Irish Rail on 23 May last. We also met officials from various agencies on 23 May to discuss the flooding problems at Ballycar on the railway line between Galway and Limerick. We will return to this topic in November 2018 to consider the progress that will have been made by that date. The programme for Government, the rural development action plan and the national planning framework address the need for quality rural transportation, including bus services within regions and connectivity with long-distance rail and bus services. Such forms of transport benefit rural communities and make them more sustainable and help to address social exclusion. In addition, increased use of public transport helps to reduce the effects of climate change through reduced carbon emissions.

Today we are joined by representatives of the NTA and Bus Éireann, both of which are heavily involved in the implementation of rural transport policy. After they have made their opening statements, I will invite the members of the committee to put questions to them. I suggest that members should limit their questioning to between three and five minutes. They may come in more than once.

I will now read some formal notices for the information of witnesses. I draw their attention to the fact that, by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by the Chair to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. Witnesses are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given. They are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. I advise the witnesses that any submissions, opening statements or other documents they have supplied to the committee will be published on its website after this meeting. 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.

On behalf of the committee, I welcome Ms Anne Graham, who is the chief executive officer of the NTA, Mr. Tim Gaston, who is the NTA's director of public transport services, and Ms Margaret Malone, who is the NTA's rural transport manager. I also welcome Mr. Ray Hernan, who is the chief executive of Bus Éireann, Mr. John Sheridan, who is Bus Éireann's operations manager, and Mr. Robert O'Mahony, who is Bus Éireann's public service obligation network works manager. I ask Ms Graham to make an opening statement on behalf of the NTA. She was here at the end of March and she is very welcome back to the committee today.