Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Donnelly for her attendance. I will address a number of points and ask her to provide her reflections on the important opportunities that exist and the immediate actions the Government should take. There is potential for the reduction of emissions or a modal shift in the context of travel to school, incorporating school transport, such as bus transport, but also the Government's safe routes to school programme. It is a good programme but its roll-out and implementation is incredibly slow. Is there an opportunity to inject pace and scale to change the way trips to and from school are made?

I am not sure whether she is familiar with the Connecting Ireland programme, which is the Government's plan relating to regular daily journeys for populations numbering more than 300. It is a €56 million five-year programme and we are three years into it. The Government invested €5 million last year and spent €4 million. This year, it is investing €8 million but I am unsure whether that will be spent. Are there opportunities to improve in the context of that programme?

A slightly tangential matter that is, nevertheless, relevant to the committee is that ports are a key enabler in transport transition but certainly in the energy transition. What is Ms Donnelly's view in that regard? What type of changes are needed?

There is a heavy emphasis on public bus transport. Swathes of the country, particularly in rural areas, are without heavy rail. Could or should we be more ambitious in the expansion of new heavy rail services?