Mr. Hugh Creegan:

The Senator's question related to the criteria we use to choose between projects. We are probably coming off under-investment in public transport for a couple of decades. We need all the projects to go ahead and proceed. We have a very well developed methodology that assesses projects under a number of different headings, including the environment, climate change and the benefit-cost ratio. While the benefit-cost ratio is important, it is not the bee all and end all. It is worth mentioning also that all our projects assess carbon reductions as part of them and our modelling work for each of those projects brings that to bear on them. The tools to choose between projects are pretty well established. There is a particular set of and key headings used across the transport spectrum, which have been set by the Department of Transport and have been in place for a number of years. We use those to assist with the choices between projects. After that, the policy around them sometimes gets built into the various national development plans and that in a way sets the prioritisation also but the two things come together to determine the running order of the projects.