Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 7 February 2013

Public Accounts Committee

2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments Under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 26 - Collection of Motor Taxation
Financial Statements 2011 - National Roads Authority

12:00 pm

Photo of Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Were these carriages all acquired at once or were they acquired over time? Why do we have a situation where there is obviously not the capacity to use the 21 carriages? Planning was probably done for that in 2006 and 2007, which was the height of the Celtic tiger economy. However, it was running on hot stem at that time and at a speed that was not natural. Why was it not done on a phased basis, so that if the demand was not there the carriages would not have to be bought?