Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)

We have received apologies from Deputy Barry Heneghan and Senator Alice-Mary Higgins. The first item on the agenda today is the engagement with the transport sector on climate change targets 2026 to 2030 - the near term targets. The purpose of today's meeting is to continue a discussion with the goal of identifying the 15 to 20 barriers that would prevent Ireland from reaching its climate change targets for 2026 to 2030. We are holding sector by sector engagement on this topic. As members will know, we continue today with witnesses from the transport sector.

I welcome the following witnesses to our meeting: from the National Transport Authority: Mr. Hugh Creegan, interim CEO, and Mr. Eoin Gillard, assistant director of transport investment; from the Irish Road Haulage Association, Mr. Ger Hyland, president, Mr. John Nolan, honorary secretary, Mr. Paul Jackman, officer on the management committee, and Mr. Eugene Drennan, officer on the management committee; from Fuels for Ireland, Mr. Kevin McPartlan, CEO, and Ms Sarah Bradshaw; and from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry; Mr. Brian Cooke, director general, Mr. Tom Cullen, deputy director general, and Ms Emma Mitchell, operations director and secretary. They are all very welcome here today. I remind all witnesses to make sure their mobile phones are on silent or switched off, please.

Before I invite the witnesses to deliver their opening statements, I want to advise them of the following in relation to parliamentary privilege. Witnesses and members are reminded of the long-standing practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity, by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable, or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of that person or entity. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative they comply with any such direction.

On the format of the session, I will invite witnesses in turn to make an opening statement for a maximum of five minutes. Once the opening statements have been delivered, I will then call on the members of the committee in the order in which they indicate to me to put their questions. The committee operates a rota system, which provides each member with an initial six minutes to engage with our witnesses. It is important to note that the six minutes is for both questions and answers. Therefore, it is essential for members to put their questions succinctly and witnesses to be succinct in their responses. We may have some non-members of the committee here and they will also be invited to contribute and put their questions at the end of the first round. When all members who have indicated have had their initial engagement, time permitting, a second round will commence where each member will have up to three minutes for both questions and answers.

Please note the duration of this meeting is limited and, therefore, the times must be adhered to. I ask everybody to be focused in their contributions. I will now call each organisation to deliver their opening statements as follows: Mr. Hugh Creegan, for the National Transport Authority, Mr. Ger Hyland for the IRHA, Mr. Kevin McPartlan for Fuels for Ireland and Mr. Brian Cooke for the SIMI. We will start with Mr. Hugh Creegan for the NTA.