John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of this meeting is to engage with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, about his briefing following last week's EU Council meeting of transport ministers which took place in Luxembourg. I welcome the Minister and invite him to go straight into his briefing.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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This is my first appearance before this committee. I look forward to working closely with the committee during my time in office. I welcome the opportunity to appear before the committee to brief it on issues that arose at the recent EU Transport Council, to update it on my priorities as Minister and give it a perspective on yesterday's budget announcement in respect of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Within a few days of my appointment as Minister I was asked by way of parliamentary question to outline my priorities for the remainder of my term in office. I replied on the basis that I would take stock over the coming days and weeks of all aspects of the Department's functions and work before identifying any priorities over and above those in place before I took office. I said I would do so taking account of the Government's stated priorities, the general economic situation and my own consideration. I also stated that I looked forward to discussing these priorities with this committee first. With the permission of the Chairman, I will make a brief reference to them during my contribution.

Before doing so I will briefly summarise the outcomes of the EU Council of transport ministers. The Council met in Luxembourg on Wednesday, 8 October 2014, under the Italian Presidency of the European Union.

Vice President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport and mobility, represented the European Commission. Unfortunately, neither the Secretary General of the Department nor I were able to attend as the Council took place during the pre-budget negotiations on the Department’s Estimates for 2015. On the same day I was also required to be in the Seanad to present the Vehicle Clamping Bill 2014. For those reasons I decided to attend to Oireachtas duties and represent the Department on the negotiations on the budget. The Department was represented on that day by Mr. Ray O'Leary, assistant secretary, who accompanies me this morning.
In relation to the meeting itself, Members will have seen the agenda already. The Council adopted a general approachon a draft regulation on market access to port services and financial transparency of ports. The new rules are expected to promote fairer competition and reduce legal uncertainties, thereby encouraging efficient port services and investment in ports. Ireland welcomed the legislative basis being proposed, which is already in place in Ireland, but expressed regret that the proposal was not more ambitious while none the less supporting the compromise document.
The Council held a policy debateon two proposals under what is termed the 4th railway package to improve rail services in the European Union by opening the market for domestic passenger services and introducing proposals for stronger governance. Despite the Presidency and Commission ambition, most of the interventions from member states, including Ireland, either called for flexibility on the Commission proposals to take account of the specific characteristics in different member state markets or accepted the Commission objectives but expressed significant reservations on one or more major elements of the Commission proposals. In its conclusion, the Presidency said there is a lot of work to be done during the coming months towards the adoption of political guidelines on the package.
The Transport Council also considered proposals for what the European Commission calls remotely piloted aircraft systems, RPAS, or what we would call drones, and their future use in a civilian context in an airspace open to general traffic. These are defined as “any aircraft and its associated elements, other than a balloon, kite or small aircraft which is intended to be operated with no pilot on board”. Ireland supports the Commission’s communication published in April 2014 on opening the aviation market to the civil use of RPAS. Given developments in recent years in the technology of RPAS, the Commission considers it timely that consideration be given on how RPAS operations should be addressed in a policy framework which will enable the development of a commercial RPAS market.
In Ireland, the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, has statutory responsibility for regulating safety standards in civil aviation, including RPAS. The IAA published its policy and national legislation on the use of RPAS in October 2012. RPAS are used for a variety of tasks in Ireland, including aerial photography and aerial survey. Additionally, the IAA has issued registered training facility approval to four organisations seeking to become involved in the commercial use of RPAS in Ireland.
In the discussion at Transport Council, most member states referenced concerns on safety, security and privacy issues, with many countries claiming that any regulations should be kept simple and risk-based with no need for specific data protection legislation required for drones.
The Council took note of a progress report on a proposed revision of the Single European Skyrules, aimed at speeding up the modernisation of EU air traffic management.

The Council also adopted a general approach on a draft directive on the cross-border exchange of information on road traffic offences. The Council considered the outcome of the informal ministerial meeting in Milan last month regarding the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy. The Council focused on how TEN-T and infrastructural investment could help economic development and how investment could help growth and boost economies and employment.

Having reviewed the functions and ongoing work of the Department, the ministerial management board within the Department - this body comprises my Secretary General and assistant secretaries general as well as the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, and I - last month agreed a number of priorities for the Department over the remaining term of the Government. I will briefly set out what they are. In doing so, it does not take away from the importance of the many other necessary tasks that are ongoing within my Department as part of its statutory, regulatory, governance and other functions. The identified priorities will also be identified within the new departmental statement of strategy that is being developed and for which the views of the public and other interested parties have been invited.

The statement of Government priorities agreed in July 2014 has two priorities for which my Department has a lead role. These are the cross-city Luas project and the publication of a new tourism strategy. Regarding the former, I am pleased to report that the project is on target and within budget. The Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, is reviewing the tenders for the main infrastructure contract and I expect and look forward to being in a position to authorise the signature of the contract early in the new year. As members are aware, this is an important transport project for the city. When operational, it will deliver a further 10 million passenger journeys for the city each year, an incredible development on an already high level of use. Following testing, commissioning and trial runs, the line is expected to be operational by the end of 2017. The European Investment Bank, EIB, has shown its endorsement of the project by approving a loan of €150 million for it.

The second Government priority relevant to my Department is the publication of a new tourism policy. The purpose of the review is to develop a policy statement setting out the Government's priorities in terms of the contribution tourism is to make to national economic and social goals, how that contribution will be measured and in what manner tourism can make the best contribution. The policy will also support tourism in rural areas and, therefore, address and make a contribution to the sustainability of rural communities. A point that I often make in much of the necessary discussion that takes place about balanced economic development and regional development is that the tourism industry touches on every part of our country. I have long believed that it can make a powerful contribution to the objectives of balanced regional development. I am happy to report that, following a consultation process, the new policy is on target for publication by the end of the year.

I should mention one other priority contained in the Government's statement of priorities that the Ministers of State, Deputies Ann Phelan and Ring, and I regard as critical to the tourism strategy and sustainable jobs in rural communities, namely, the need to ensure that the new model of 21st century apprenticeships is implemented during 2015. This priority is important to the future sustainability of the tourism sector in particular. As a nation, we need to have structures in place to ensure the continuing availability of the right mix of skills and job opportunities to contribute to the growth and quality of our tourism services.

In addition to the Government priorities, I have identified a number of other priorities. There has been considerable progress in the development of the National Sports Campus at Abbotstown in recent years. New facilities opened in the past year include a national horse sport arena, a national modern pentathlon centre and a national diving training centre. A multi-sport synthetic pitch facility was also completed and opened to the public last December. On-site accommodation has been developed to allow athletes to live and train on campus.

In addition, the FAI and the GAA commenced work during the year on developing pitches for their sports at the campus.

Work is continuing on site, with further significant developments under way. I am pleased to say that stimulus funding was provided by Government this year to develop a headquarters for Special Olympics Ireland at the national sports campus. Planning permission has been sought and I look forward to seeing work commence on this project next year.

As members will be aware, a new national ports policy was published in March 2013. The core objective of the policy is to facilitate a competitive and effective market for maritime transport services. The national ports policy categorises the State commercial ports sector into ports of national significance tier 1; ports of national significance tier 2; and ports of regional significance.

The ports of national significance are Ireland's key international maritime gateways handling approximately 90% of all tonnage and are of significant importance in terms of our national competitiveness. The continued commercial development of the three ports of national significance is a key objective of national ports policy, and all three ports have master plans in place setting out their development plans over the next 30 years. Both Dublin and Cork have planning applications with An Bord Pleanála.

Last Friday at 5 a.m. I was very pleased to visit Dublin Port for more than four hours and to see at first hand the extraordinary work taking place there to meet the needs of our country and to hear an explanation of the impact of its planning application and development plans for the Alexandra Basin and beyond. Some members may already have done so but I urge all members to go to Dublin Port some day early in the morning to see the scale of activity under way. It brings home to one how vital it is to our city and country.

Some weeks ago I had the opportunity to see Cork Port in action. I visited Ringaskiddy port to see the plans under way there and the impact its development plan would have on the port and beyond. I look forward to visiting Shannon-Foynes and as many other ports as possible in the coming months because an important lesson I have learned in this role is that when we think of connectivity, the part of our national infrastructure that is key to our ability to get goods into and out of our country is our ports. To see how much of our petroleum needs are serviced out of Dublin Port alone brought home to me the importance of this piece of national infrastructure.

Members will also be aware that in line with national ports policy I am bringing forward a new harbours (amendment) Bill to allow for the transfer of control of Drogheda, Dún Laoghaire, Galway, New Ross and Wicklow ports to local authority control. The Bill will also improve the board appointment process to the ports through, for example, introducing mandatory skill sets. The committee recently returned its report on the general scheme of the Bill, which was very useful in highlighting a number of issues for consideration as we develop the Bill. In recent days my Department has received the members' observations with regard to the Bill. I look forward to considering them and engaging with members. I hope to publish the Bill by the end of the first quarter of 2015. I should make the point that the Vehicle Clamping Bill that is before the Seanad today, Committee Stage of which will be taken at 11.30 a.m., reflects and tries to take on board the input of the committee following its consideration of the heads of the Bill.

The Department embarked on the development of a new national aviation policy in December 2012. The last formal civil aviation policy was in 1994. Members will be aware of the huge changes that have taken place in the aviation sector since then. It is considered necessary to map out a policy framework to facilitate the continued growth and development of the sector in the medium term. There has been substantial public consultation to date that has informed the development of a new policy. It is intended to adopt and publish the new national aviation policy before the end of this year.

The next key priority for me is the broad theme of how we pay for transport services and infrastructure now and in the future. I accord equal weight to services and infrastructure and acknowledge the differing roles of the public and private sectors regarding each of them. A major example of this is the development of a strategic framework for investment in land transport. This work isbeingundertaken by my Department and is led by a high level steering group. It has drawn on national and international data and research, evidence from key stakeholders, and analysis and research both commissioned and carried out within the Department and its agencies.This work is wide-ranging and includes considering the link between economic growth and investment, establishing the cost of maintaining, managing and renewing land transport infrastructure and assets over time, and identifying future needs and where that demand will arise.
The evidence from these three key areas of work, along with an understanding of key transport and travel needs, consideration of the impact on travel demand of structural changes to the economy and how to manage demand, has provided the basis for a set of overall principles, proposed by the steering group, to guide investment decisions in transport over the longer term. This is intended to ensure that future investment decisions in the transport sector will prioritise the projects which will offer the greatest economic and social return for the resources that we can provide. A significant gap still exists between the funding allocation for land transport and the funding levels required to maintain the existing system in adequate condition, even if all of the available funding is spent only on the current steady state of affairs.
Road safety, as Members will be aware, is also one of my main priorities, along with a concentration on a significant reduction in the number of fatal collisions. On my first or second day in office I met a family who had lost their child in a road accident and collision. We have all been touched by the issue in our constituencies and personal lives. My meeting with the family brought home to me the impact of road collisions in terms of injuries and death. The meeting reinforced for me, at a human level, the tragedy involved and the need for us to continue to focus in on the implementation of the Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020. It was launched last year and contains 144 actions to improve on where things stand at present.
From a legislative perspective, we have published the Road Traffic Act 2014, passed earlier this year. It includes provision for further graduated driver licensing measures and increased sanctions for the most dangerous offences such as speeding and operating a mobile telephone while driving. In the coming weeks I shall chair a ministerial meeting to look at the implementation of the road safety strategy and all of the 144 actions. As important as new legislation is, I am always aware that we must focus on the implementation of existing legislation.
I shall conclude with some very brief observations on budget 2015 because I shall speak on this point in the Dáil later today. The most significant measures, from my perspective, are the retention of the 9% VAT rate, which has been welcomed by the domestic and international tourism section here in Ireland; the safeguarding of the public service obligation funding for public transport; the delivery of local, regional and national roads maintenance; and the new round of sports capital funding. The retention of the 9% rate has been welcomed by those who work in tourism. It is estimated that the employment in the 9% VAT category has increased by around 30,000 since the tax was first introduced. Three years later it is the contribution whose measure is still being felt and is constantly analysed by my Department.
I wish to emphasise that the tax code is replete with measures that were introduced to deliver specific objectives. One thing my Department has constantly done is evaluate the ongoing impact of the tax. The two measures that we will look at are as follows. First is the number of people who have been employed in the sector.

Second, we will constantly scrutinise the value for money perception among tourists to ensure all is being done to feed that lower VAT rate into competitive and sustainable pricing for the sector. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, touched on this point in his budget contribution yesterday.

We are seeing continued success in the sector this year. We have seen overseas visitor numbers increase by 9.4% in the first eight months of the year and the allocation for overseas tourism marketing in 2015 will allow the tourism agencies to undertake substantial marketing activities and help to ensure the upward momentum is maintained.

Investment in our public transport system is essential to keep pace with our growing economy. Targeted investment in our national, regional and local roads, the development of projects, such as the Luas cross-city, the maintenance of our roads network and the upgrading of our bus fleet are all central to this. In line with a commitment given to me in recent months, I am happy to say that in contrast to a trend of reducing PSO allocations in recent years, the level of PSO obligations for bus and rail services is being maintained at current levels, and next year at a level of €210 million.

In addition to public transport, we are also continuing to invest in our roads network. The overall capital allocation of €893 million for land transport in 2015 is broadly unchanged compared with 2014, with €50 million which was provided in 2014 in once-off stimulus funding being maintained in the budget for next year. A total of€598 million has been allocated for the maintenance and improvement of our national, regional and local roads, which is broadly unchanged compared with last year.

I am also pleased with the allocation of a further round of sports capital programme funding this year. This is the third round of funding under this Government and by my Department and it will provide opportunities for clubs and organisations around the country to apply for funds. I want to emphasise the value of this. I am aware, both personally and from my constituency, of the extraordinary contributions voluntary organisations make to our social life. I also want to praise the amazing contribution our professional athletes make, as it is important to do so, especially this morning. In the deployment of a third round of sports capital funding for next year, I want to give small organisations, in particular, the opportunity to ensure they have the right equipment and facilities for all of their members. Every Saturday morning throughout the country, we see young boys and girls having the opportunity to participate in sporting clubs which are, by and large, run on a voluntary basis. I want to ensure they have the opportunity give the very best of services they can to the young boys and girls participating in those clubs and in those matches at weekends and during the week.

I thank the Chairman and members for affording me the time to report on the outcome of the Transport Council and to set out my priorities for the transport, tourism and sport sectors. Since being appointed Minister in this Department, I have found the role to be very enjoyable. It is varied, interesting and very demanding. I am very privileged to have the opportunity to serve our country in this role and I will do my very best to ensure I can deliver. I enjoy all the challenges the role brings each day. The sectors are very different but they all play a crucial role in the daily lives of all the people we are privileged to represent while, at the same time, they contribute to employment and economic growth.

I look forward to answering any questions members may wish to ask. I have to be in the Seanad later this morning but I will do my best to respond to questions asked and I look forward to appearing before the committee again in the near future in regard to legislation or any matters members may wish to raise with me.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his overview of the Transport Council and his priorities going forward. This committee looks forward to working closely with him and welcomes his input at all times.

In respect of a couple of priorities, I welcome the Minister's statement that tourism is right throughout the country and that it can be a vehicle for providing balanced regional development. The Wild Atlantic Way was an example of that this year. I am aware there are plans for other targeted areas in the coming years. Recently, a couple of issues arose at the committee in respect of balanced regional development. We had a presentation from Galway Port in recent weeks which indicated that due to tiering of the ports, it may be disadvantaged because as a tier 3 port it is being handed over to the local authority. I am not sure if the Minister has met representatives of Galway Port.

The other issue concerns aviation policy and regional airports. In my area, Ireland West Airport Knock is a lifeline for getting tourists into the region from Donegal to Galway. I welcome the extension of funding for capital and operational expenditure but I understand that in some ways it will be more restrictive than the previous support. It is vital that support be continued for regional airports as a vehicle for delivering balanced regional development. Perhaps the Minister would address those issues.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I will respond to the Chairman's two specific points, one of which was whether I had met representatives of Galway Port. I am planning to meet them in the first half of November and to visit the port and to discuss its project. As the Chairman will be aware, the project is currently the subject of the planning process. Galway Port has submitted its plan for the development of the port. As it is now subject to the planning process and the scrutiny involved, I will not say anything further about the project because I have to respect what is currently under way.

In respect of the Chairman's further question regarding the classification of ports, I am aware of the views expressed by different ports. Much of the classification that is being used arises from a classification that has been developed by the European Commission which, in turn, relates to our ability to access funding. The criteria are being developed consistently across the European Union. In order for us to have the best opportunity to access the funding that is needed, the criteria must reflect that classification. I look forward to discussing with all ports how we will roll out, develop and deploy our national port policy. I am fully committed to the policy as it stands. I believe it is the right policy for a country of our size and that it offers the best chance for different ports to develop, given their importance in allowing goods and people to enter and leave our country.

I acknowledge the Chairman's comments on aviation policy and regional airports. I have made a decision to continue a new four year plan to support airports across the country.

The Chairman has already mentioned the different levels and layers of funding that our airports can access consisting of funding for capital and operational expenditure together with the funding for the PSO obligation that is made avail for different services.

Our proposals for our regional airports, which is part of the four year plan, is currently in with the European Commission. We are awaiting a decision to sanction it and when that decision has been made I will look at the level of support that I can make available and how that can be delivered to different airports. I fully understand the role of regional airports in terms of basic connectivity for some parts of the country and for the role they play in allowing tourism and business travel to take place.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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In order to give every member an opportunity to contribute, I suggest we confine our remarks to a few minutes as the Minister is pressed for time.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I apologise for being late but I was doing an interview on the budget. The Minister has set our his priorities in his speech. However, taken in conjunction with the proposals in the Budget Statement it will be difficult for him to achieve these objectives. In effect the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has taken a cut this year. Would the cut have been greater had the Minister attended the Transport Council meeting? I believe he made the correct decision to stay at home and try to fight the case for his Department.

In the course of his speech, referring to infrastructure the Minister states, "A significant gap still exists between the funding allocation for land transport and the funding levels required to maintain the existing system in adequate condition". I have raised my concern about this with the Minister and his predecessor on a number of occasions. When we see the limited amount of information that emanates from the Budget Statement as it relates to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, it is clear that further saving must be made in terms of road maintenance and under other headings, including Tourism Ireland and the Road Safety Authority. The Minister will not be surprised that among the e-mails I received yesterday, one was from Tourism Ireland complimenting the Government on the budget. I wonder if the person who sent it was aware that Tourism Ireland was in line for a cut in funding from the State. Perhaps not.

In the past number of years we have developed policy on road safety on a cross-party basis and this has been done to a large extent without the normal political rancour. I want to continue to do that but it would be remiss of me not to identify that there appears to be an upward trend in road accidents in the past two years. I remained silent on it last year because one cannot take the figures for a month or a number of months out of sequence, but it is a recurring issue. It appears to be a problem and any reduction in the spending on road safety is a real issue. I caution against that, particularly at the level of the Road Safety Authority.

Turning to return to the comments made by the chairman of the RSA and the previous chief executive, the issue has probably greater significance in terms of enforcement. In this regard perhaps I have missed something in the Vote for the Department of Justice and Equality, but if I have I will be happy to correct the record. I am deeply concerned about the increase in the number of deaths and injuries on the road. If something serious is not done to address it, we have a problem. The strategy has worked to date because the appropriate investment was put in place in the detection and enforcement side. The eye has been taken off the ball because of the cuts in budgets, in particular the Garda budget. These are the two issues I am most concerned about.

The State is unable to meet the funding requirements that are necessary to maintain our roads, never mind to plan for the roads that a growing economy will need. What is often forgotten in the rush to spend the spoils of a minor level of recovery is the fact that one still needs to plan for the future. With 4.7% growth this year and 3.9% projected for next year, activity on our roads and in the public transport system generally will increase. Our strategy is ill-equipped to address this. In whatever time the Minister has left in his Ministry, I would like to see a clear plan of action that is, to some extent, measured or regulated in tandem with growth rates. If he can set out that plan and achieve funding, he will receive any support I can give.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Dooley for his questions. I will begin with his last point on road safety. I welcome his approach to the matter, as it is something that has always been the subject of a high level of bipartisanship from Oireachtas Members. I acknowledge the recognition given to this issue by the former Fianna Fáil Minister, Mr. Noel Dempsey, and the role that he played in introducing important legislation.

Most days, the first thing I look at is what has happened on our roads the previous night. We all remember hearing about the terrible deaths of five people last weekend. I do not have the figure for the trend as of today but, as of earlier this week, the number of deaths so far this year was unchanged compared with last year or represented an improvement of one, that is, one fewer person had lost his or her life on the road. However, I must be clear - I see little cause to rejoice about this. While we all heartily welcome the fact that fewer families have to deal with the loss of life or serious injury on our roads, far too many people are still the victims of road accidents, losing their lives or receiving serious injuries. We must redouble our efforts and ensure that we deal with the issue constantly, given that it is such an important priority.

Regarding the Deputy's particular point on funding, the Road Safety Authority, RSA, is in transition. Over the next year or so, it will become entirely or almost entirely self-funding due to the level of revenue it raises from the services that it is involved in delivering. As this happens, there will be a decrease in the current funding that my Department makes available to it. I am certain that the organisation has the people and funding to do the work that is necessary.

As to my two priorities, I will first deal with the issue of driving while intoxicated by drugs. I will address this matter through a further road traffic Bill. It is a major issue, particularly in terms of polydrug use, that is, where alcohol and drugs are combined. Polydrug use is leading to behaviour on our roads that is contributing to the number of lives lost. Second, and to answer a further question of the Deputy's, I will chair a meeting in the coming weeks of Ministers from other Departments as well as the acting Garda Commissioner with a view to examining the implementation of measures that have already been agreed.

Regarding the Deputy's point about my Department's overall funding, total capital spending will be €950 million in 2015.

When we strip out one-off sources of funding that went in, such as stimulus funding and funding for storm relief, we can see that the baseline figure has increased by €50 million since the start of the budgetary cycle this time last year.

Deputy Dooley made an important point about the funding that is available for national, local and regional roads. Some €598 million will be available next year. This figure is broadly unchanged by comparison with the figure a year ago. I agree with the Deputy's broader point about the need for funding to be put in place for national infrastructure as our economy grows. My Department recently made a public statement on the strategic framework for investment in land transport. This report shows that our investment in land transport is now below the European norm. It is below the norm in many of the countries with which we compete. My job over time will be to increase our average level of funding towards the average we believe is necessary to fund a growing economy and a safe infrastructure. While we have taken a step in that direction by bringing some of the one-off funding into our base funding for this year, much more remains to be done.

I was also asked about the funding that has been made available to Tourism Ireland. Both Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland have managed to find savings within their own organisations. I would expect any State body to do this standard efficiency work. I am confident that both bodies have the funding needed to advertise our tourist attractions here in Ireland. I saw an example of their work - the advertising campaign they are running for the Wild Atlantic Way - when I was at the Flavours of Ireland event in London two weeks ago.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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As we have another major item on the agenda today, I ask members to confine their contributions to questions, where possible. While I do not want to restrict anyone, I am keen to get everybody in. The same thing applies to the Minister when he is replying. We want to run this a little more efficiently.

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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I will try to stick to the Chairman's advice. I welcome the Minister to the committee and wish him every success as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. He spoke about the investment in public transport. Will he provide additional capital to Dublin Bus to replace some of its older buses? As the average age of the fleet increases, maintenance costs mount up and safety problems arise.

While I agree with the Minister that the new Luas construction project is very welcome, I am aware that it is leading to severe disruption. I ask that priority be given to this problem. It is difficult to travel down Dawson Street at the moment. There is serious disruption on College Green and Nassau Street. I expect that the disruption on Marlborough Street, which is to the north of the Liffey, will extend to Eden Quay as well. An effort should be made to minimise the impact of these works. Perhaps more work should be done on weekends, rather than between Monday and Friday. The current activity means it takes longer to cross the city by bus or by car. A greater effort should be made to minimise such disruption.

I take the Minister's point that the number of fatal accidents has decreased even though traffic levels on the roads have increased noticeably in the last year or so. As more people go back to work, more people are using public transport and their cars to travel around. I welcome the fact that we have had one fewer road fatality so far this year. Nevertheless, as the Minister said, we cannot get complacent.

There is a particular safety issue with the Luas network. A number of accidents in the last year, caused by the mix of pedestrians, Luas lines and vehicular traffic, have resulted in injuries and fatalities. There was a fatal accident involving a constituent of mine on Abbey Street earlier this year.

A greater effort must be put into ensuring there is safety where the Luas uses the same space as pedestrians and other traffic. The issue also needs to be given a greater priority.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I agree entirely with the Deputy about Luas safety. I, along with the Rail Procurement Agency, launched a campaign last week to make pedestrians more aware of the presence of the Luas when walking and going about their business in the city. The centrepiece of the advertising campaign is videos, provided by the RPA, of people walking in or near a Luas when moving. The agency has informed me that it has had 70 reported instances of near or actual contact with a Luas carriage over the past year. It has an advertising campaign under way to address the issue.

In regard to the Luas cross-city project, I am very much aware of the disruption caused and I thank the business community and Dublin Bus for all that is being done to minimise it . Further changes will be under way in early 2016. I chair the Luas cross-city group at the moment. I have asked it to look at how we can minimise disruption and communicate clearly to Dubliners what is under way in order they can adjust their plans accordingly.

The Deputy asked a question on the age of buses. The average age of the Dublin Bus fleet is seven to eight years which is well inside the industry norm. We have an objective in place to reduce the average age. The average age of buses in Bus Éireann is between five and a half years and just over six years. I will provide funding to maintain the fleet and ensure it is as modern as possible and delivers on the needs of passengers. Both operators are doing a fine job in that regard but I know funding is needed to continue that work.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister for his presentation. I wish to ask about a couple of areas, touch on European law and refer to the cross-Border exchange of information on traffic issues. The Minister's predecessor, Deputy Varadkar, indicated there are legal problems with linking the points system, North and South, and that it requires legislation. I assume the same problem has arisen in other European countries when co-ordinating a system. Is there a plan to alleviate the situation? Will the Minister to elaborate on the matter?

The Luas cross-city project has led to chaos when travelling in and out of the city. Places are closed one day but re-opened the next. We need to get more information out to the public. The project was supposed to be finished by 2016 but the deadline seems to have been extended to the end of 2017. Will the Minister elaborate on the deadline. Is the project within budget? I thought the deadline for finishing was a bit earlier than the end of 2017. Will the Minister advise me on the matter? The Minister did say 2017.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I did, yes.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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In terms of road safety, I welcome the idea of drug tests and the plans outlined by the Minister. I would like to engage with that matter but I have an issue with the reported statistics on traffic accidents. We are getting evidence that some of these accidents are suicide related but they are still being counted as traffic accidents. In some cases people deliberately drive into walls or otherwise but it is reported as a road traffic accident. Has the matter been examined a bit more? This is a European issue as much as our own. I must inquire about this matter because it has been brought to my attention by a number of people.

Funding for Dublin Bus and Irish Rail seems to have been left at the same level in the budget.

Dublin Bus, in particular, needs more resources. I have noticed in my area - this has been reported to me and I have spoken to Dublin Bus about it - a large number of buses going by full. This is not happening only in my area. A large number of people have started to use public transport.

That brings me to the public service obligation cuts. The Minister indicated that there would be no further cuts to the PSO next year. Will he clarify if that is still the case? We cannot afford any more cuts?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm I will not cut the PSO further next year. In regard to drug testing, I look forward to engaging with the Deputy on the matter because how we measure this issue in terms of looking at samples and the technology involved is very sophisticated and complicated. How we move this forward will merit very careful scrutiny. I can discuss that further with the Deputy.

In regard to the Luas cross-city, I do not believe we have chaos in terms of its roll-out. However, I fully accept it is causing difficulty and we need to look at what we can do, in particular in the new year when more will be happening, to better communicate in advance to people what is happening and at how we can minimise, in any way possible, the disruption it is causing.

In regard to cross-Border road traffic issues, there are challenges in that area and the Deputy touched on one of them. Given that the nature of this kind of co-operation is cross-Border, we must have a kind of co-operation between the different laws in place in regard to it. I will have a North-South Ministerial Council meeting with the Ministers in that area in the North and I will raise this issue with them because they also have a great interest in the matter. I will look at how I can advance it.

There are some legal difficulties here. Given the Deputy's interest in this, I can either come back to him on it at another committee meeting or answer further questions on it on the Dáil. I will attend a North-South Ministerial Council meeting on this issue in early November, after which I will be able to give the Deputy a better read on where we stand.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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In regard to the Luas, are we on-----

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The timing for that is to have the infrastructure complete by 2016, which will be done. When that is in place, much work needs to be done in terms of carriages, power and making it work. The deadline has always been to have it up and running across 2017. We are on time and on budget in regard to it.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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The last question I asked was about the suicide statistics when it comes to road traffic accidents.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I have to be very responsible in terms of what say in response to this question, as the Deputy has been. Behind each of these statistics, as the Deputy is aware, is a grieving family. However, that view has been put to me and other people have raised the issue with me. Mental health and the pressures families and people face play a role in the concentration and distraction levels among people when they are on our roads. If the Deputy has particular evidence or information which would allow us to better understand the role it is playing in the current casualty levels I would be very interested in seeing it because it could be something we could feed into the Road Safety Authority and something at which we could look in the work we are doing. It is certainly an issue at which we need to look further.

Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I wish to be associated with the opening remarks by the Chairman and other members in welcoming the Minister to his first committee meeting.

I share the view of others who referred to Dublin Bus, among other things.

I refer in particular to the improvements made by management, and particularly staff, in Dublin Bus which transformed the company. It provides a very good service, which I use five days a week. Also, I was delighted to hear the Minister's remarks on the subsidy for next year, which is welcome.

I have two questions, one of which the Minister alluded to, as did the Minister for Finance in yesterday's budget announcement, namely, the issue of the 9% tourism VAT rate. In principle I am in favour of that but all of us would agree that this summer for different reasons, including the weather factor, was probably one of the longest summers in history. Hotels in cities and outside the cities have done very well. There is no dispute about that, although hotel owners will always argue otherwise. However, the hotel industry should not take us, as legislators, for granted in terms of preserving the 9% rate unless there is a return for customers, something to which the Minister referred. Constituents have told me of their experiences holidaying in Ireland and in Northern Ireland, and have made comparisons, some of which were striking in terms of value. The hotel industry should not take it for granted that every time we come in here to debate a budget they will get away with that.

The second point in this connection, which I accept does not come into the Minister's domain, concerns wage levels in the industry. Many jobs have been created but there are questions to be answered about the wage levels in some hotels and, unfortunately, not all hotel workers are unionised. I am saying to the Minister that those in the industry should not take it for granted that he will approve the request from those in the industry for a retention of the 9% rate every year.

On the road safety factor about which all of us are concerned, I heard what I presume was a Road Safety Authority advertisement this morning and one aspect struck me, which Deputy Ellis mentioned also. It referred to 140 people involved in drunk driving in the past month. The Minister has the power to do what no other Minister previously had the courage to do. Can he take the decision to ban for life drivers who have been convicted of taking alcohol, the national drug, or other illegal drugs while driving? That would bring about the biggest sea-change in terms of road safety.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I apologise to the Minister for being late and missing his presentation. Mar tá mar tá rang Gaeilge agam gach Céadaoin idir a naoi a chlog agus a deich a chlog. I welcome the Minister and wish him the best in his Ministry.

I have three questions. One of them appears to be parochial but it might have a national aspect, the second appears to be parochial but it may have a European aspect while the third is unashamedly parochial.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Take your time, Deputy.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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After such an introduction I will have to answer the three of them.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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First, we have a good train and bus service between Sligo and Dublin but several years ago, the freight service closed. That does not make sense because we have a good deal of haulage involving heavy lorries on the N4, which in parts is unfit for the volume of traffic on the road. We have rail lines that are unused overnight and on which there is reduced usage on weekends.

We need to reconsider the decision to close the freight service between Sligo and Dublin. That decision was taken at a point in time and the assumption is that it was the correct decision. It is like having hospital theatres closed at nights and at weekends, the expensive infrastructure is not being used. That needs to be reconsidered.

Second, I wish to raise the issue of cross-Border transport and the Galway to Belfast road. The N16 road between Sligo and the Border at Belcoo is a disgrace. As far as I am aware the N16 link with the A4 does not appear on Transport 2020. It is difficult for me to keep a straight face when I hear people discussing transnational routes when I know the unsafe state of the road between Sligo and Belfast, and more particularly between Sligo and the Border at Belcoo and onwards to Enniskillen. There is ongoing work but it is work on patches here and there that does not address the fundamental work that needs to be done.

My final point is nakedly parochial. I hope the Minister is aware of the stretch of road between Collooney and Sligo dotted with white crosses to mark the place where so many people have died. I am happy to say that An Board Pleanála has now approved the plans for that road widening. I plead with the Minister to expedite the funding for that very dangerous stretch of road. I commend the people who erected the white crosses, although it is morbid, because it hammers home the message that so many have died on that stretch of road. Will the Minister ensure there is no delay in providing the funding for that stretch of road?

Eamonn Coghlan (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister. Coming from a background in sport it would be appropriate for me to raise the issue of sport as the transport issues have been raised.

It is welcome that funding for sport has been maintained this year. We look forward and welcome the new legislation, Sport Ireland Bill 2014 to merge the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority. We welcome the third round of sports capital grants. The Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring overwhelmingly recognise the role of volunteers in sports. The Minister states that when allocating funds for the next round, he will look at funding for the smaller organisation in particular. I do not believe that smaller organisations will be catered for because they must compete for funding with the GAA, the FAI, Rugby, the mainline sports that attract the larger numbers, have the sporting facilities and who continuously get repeat grants, not just in the first and second round but going over many years.

I took photographs last Sunday, which I can show the Minister now, of an event in which 300 children participated in a field with shared changing facilities provided for both boys and girls in a 40 ft container. There were no showers or anything like that provided. I have estimated that volunteer coaches in this organisation put in an estimated 5,000 hours a year coaching four times a week in some disadvantaged areas in west Dublin yet their application for the sport grants have been rejected over a number of years because they did not meet the criteria. In order for this sports organisation to meet the criteria the club would have to spend thousands of euro on architects and engineers to try to get their case across the line, yet it comes down to the whim of one individual in the country council who does not like it. In my view this is because he is more in favour of a sport in which he is involved.

I have a question concerning the new round of funding. If the Minister is serious about helping the smaller organisations, can he change the criteria for grants so that the decision on an application for funding is not just based on what is filled out in a form but might be based on a visual inspection together with the history of the organisation and the contribution it is making to the local area?

Many of these volunteer coaches are getting somewhat disenchanted and discouraged. If they walked away, hundreds if not thousands of children would be lost to sport, now and in the future, and would not be able to avail of the social benefits enjoyed by those who participate in sport. I would like the criteria to be changed. Perhaps an advice centre could be made available to smaller organisations that need support when they are making their applications.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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I welcome the Minister and his officials. I am pleased he said in the presentation he delivered that he intends to support the regional airports. I have a specific query about Kerry County Airport and the public service obligation. When does the Minister expect that the new subvention or subsidy will be approved? Are discussions currently taking place at a high level to see how compliance with the current European criteria can be achieved? I would like the Minister to assure us that this will be put in order in the near future. We are all conscious of the importance of all the regional airports. It is imperative for a huge tourism county like Kerry that this is sanctioned at an early date.

Regarding the Ebola crisis, it is important in the interests of tourism that we provide for safety measures and protocols at all our points of entry, such as our airports and seaports. We need to transmit a message to the wider world and to our customers from all the various continents in this regard. This sector is very much on the up at the moment because of the increased tourist trade. There has been significant job creation in the hospitality industry. It is very important for us to be active in public relations and on the ground. We must deliver a strong message at an early stage to people in other countries who support our tourism industry that we are taking the measures that are required. We need to be proactive in taking the precautions that are needed to ensure we will not be affected by this crisis.

Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)
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I would like to pick up on what Senator Eamonn Coghlan had to say. I missed the beginning of it, unfortunately, because I had to take a phone call. The first of my two questions relates to sports capital grants. I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, on the manner in which he has dispersed these grants since they were reintroduced. I welcomed the Government's decision to reintroduce them in difficult times. I am hopeful that the amount of money available for sports capital grants will be increased. I understand the current allocation is between €29 million and €30 million. I am not sure whether that figure is written in stone. I saw a reference to it in the Minister's speech yesterday. Has that been factored into the current Estimates? In light of the improving economic situation, is there any flexibility to increase that figure?

I share Senator Coghlan's views in relation to smaller organisations. I know there is a tendency to go for the larger critical mass in cities and towns. Perhaps that can be attributed to the limited amount of money that is available. I would like to put the figure of €29 million that I have mentioned in context by referring to two major projects in my home county of Leitrim. I understand the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, represented the Minister two weeks ago at the opening of an international-standard canoeing facility at Lough Rynn. This project was funded substantially at a cost of €900,000. My understanding is that a further capital allocation of another couple of hundred thousand euro is needed so the facility in question can be completed to the highest international standards. Over the past couple of years, the Leitrim GAA county board has embarked on the completion of a centre of excellence at Annaduff on the N4 outside Carrick-on-Shannon. That project has been held up because of a lack of money.

It is a €1.5 million facility for the county. It is probable a funding application will be made for approximately €100,000. I am taking those two examples for a small county like Leitrim. In national terms it would be the equivalent of approximately €29 million. That is the reason why there is a need to consider the matter along the lines that Senator Coghlan was describing and to also hopefully increase the budget.

My final question relates to tourism, and here I am wearing my hat as a former chairman of Fáilte Ireland North-West. I became aware that despite the fact that there is a North-South dimension and that Tourism Ireland represents the island of Ireland abroad, there was internal tension between the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, such as it is, and Fáilte Ireland. Has the Minister become aware of this and is he concerned about ongoing suggestions that Northern Ireland should opt out of the traditional marketing of the island of Ireland abroad, or that more resources should be given to focus on Northern Ireland? Were that to happen it would be a detrimental step. It is a politically sensitive issue and tourism will be one of the major topics of debate at the next North-South parliamentary meeting in November. I am curious to explore the Minster's own attitude towards the North-South dimension. Would he support a continuation of the marketing of the island of Ireland abroad?

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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A number of questions have been raised dealing with issues at national, international and regional level. There are also questions that are nakedly parochial in scope.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Thank you, I will go through them quickly, beginning with Deputy Maloney. I agree completely with what he said about Dublin Bus in terms of the route review it has put in place and the way it has delivered that. Dublin Bus has informed me that the review is believed to be the largest of its kind in Europe. I look at the roll out of real-time passenger information, the availability of Wi-Fi, and while I will always make the point that these are developments that the taxpayer funds, nonetheless the drivers, staff and management of Dublin Bus have done a very good job in responding to a market that went through a very challenging time.

In regard to the 9% VAT rate, I completely agree with the Deputy. I do not believe that the sector or its representatives take the maintenance of this 9% rate as a given, and they are correct in that judgement. Along with every other Minister, I have to put forward the case and the evidence for our support of this. This evidence is crucial; the rate must feed into competitive pricing and it must be creating jobs. When it stops doing those things, my ability to champion it within Government will be weakened too.

The Deputy raised the issue of a ban for life for people who are caught driving with alcohol in their systems. I have to respect the role and scope of the courts to make decisions. When Deputy Halligan raised a similar issue with me, I got the information regarding the level of sanction that is and has been in place, the number of people currently disqualified from driving due to having points on their licence, and the length of these disqualifications. A large number of people have been sanctioned and there are different levels of sanction depending on the penalty received. I will write to the committee with that information so that it can look at it and see how our current legislation is being implemented.

Deputy Colreavy made a point about freight. That business ceased in some areas because sufficient levels of demand were no longer there to sustain it. If the Deputy feels this has changed, I can raise the issue with David Franks and the management of Irish Rail to see whether the level of demand has changed. Irish Rail is trying to put services in place that meet the level of market demand for freight within the resources it has available.

In respect of the two roads mentioned, I confirmed earlier the funding for national, local and regional roads of €598 million, which is broadly unchanged for that of a year ago. The National Roads Authority and the local authorities will receive notification of this funding and will then make decisions regarding how it can be best spent. I will certainly convey the Deputy's comments regarding the state of them at present.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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May I make one point? In respect of the Galway to Sligo route is anybody following up with the EU the issue of potential increased funding for delayed cross-Border routes?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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My understanding is that we would not receive EU funding for the particular route referred to by the Deputy.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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Why?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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It all refers to the classification of the route and this route is not classified by the European Union as one that would receive additional funding.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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The Galway to Belfast route would not qualify for funding as a-----

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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This goes back to the point I have made regarding the funding of €598 million. That is Exchequer funding and I have to see how that can best be used.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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May I have a note from the Minister clarifying the reason the Galway to Sligo route would be excluded from consideration by the EU in terms of funding?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I will come back to the Deputy directly on that issue. I would make the point that I am always looking at how we can best access funding from the EU and elsewhere to develop our national roads infrastructure.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Senator Eamon Coghlan asked-----

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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Sorry, what is the position with the Cloonamahon to Collooney route, the route with the white crosses?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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That goes back to the point I made regarding the over fund I have secured. With the funding that has been secured the local authorities, the National Roads Authority and I have to see how that can best be used. I will convey the Deputy's concern regarding the road to them. Ultimately, it is the National Roads Authority and the local authorities who will make decisions on how this funding is spent.

Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)
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There have a been huge number of representations on this issue down through the years. It is a major issue. I am aware the Minister is inheriting it.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The point has been well made.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate that and I also appreciate the nature of the road. Deputies and Senators from many parts of the country are raising their concerns regarding road safety on particular routes. With the funding that we have secured, which was the first part of my job in this process, I will raise these issues with the NRA and local authorities.

In regard to the point raised by Senator Eamonn Coghlan in respect of application forms by smaller clubs, I take his point and I know where he is coming from in the sense that the smaller the club the more reliance it has on voluntary participation. In my own experience it tends to be a few people who do all the work and provide amazing training facilities to many young people. The challenge in regard to the application process - the Senator will be aware of this as will Senator Paschal Mooney - is that we have a duty to ensure the funding we deploy is spent well. In order for that to be done we have to know the objective of the club in terms of how the money would be spent and whether it has a good plan to do it. If an organisation fills in the form successfully and sets out how it plans to use funding, most organisations access a degree of funding. I will take on board the point the Senator made as to whether there is any way in which we could make it easier or more efficient for smaller clubs to access funding. I will look at this but I know it is an issue about which the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring, feels strongly. He said this in the House in response to a question from Deputy Eoghan Murphy last Wednesday. We will look at the issue. Alongside that we have a duty to ensure the money we have is well spent.

Scrutiny is needed to do that.

I thank Deputy Fleming for raising the Ebola issue because it is a concern not only for tourists, as he said, but also for the broader public. Earlier in the summer, we made available to airport staff extensive information regarding what they need to do and what they need to be aware of and advertising campaigns have been run in our airports in this regard. However, I should make clear that there is only one direct route between Ireland and Africa, which is Dublin to Morocco. Clear information has been available to all our staff regarding what they should do but the level of risk for Ireland, as the Minister for Health has stated, is low. However, that does not mean people will be complacent in their duties in this regard. I am a member of the Cabinet sub-committee which is examining the issue, as is the chief health officer of the HSE. We have the correct protocols in our airports.

Where there is direct traffic between our ports and Africa, we have a system in place, which was agreed with the HSE and which meets the protocols of the World Health Organization, whereby any ship or container vessel approaching our ports must provide information regarding the health of the staff and sailors on board and where they have been within four and 24 hours of docking. That document must be provided before the ship attempts to dock. This screening is in place not just for Ebola, but for other hazards. I am confident that is being well used in our ports because the staff understand its importance.

With regard to Kerry Airport and other regional airports, the four year plan is with the Commission regarding operational and capital expenditure. When I receive the Commission's views and decision on this, I will then examine the support that can be made available to these airports. Deputy Fleming asked specifically about Kerry Airport. The PSO tenders have been shared with my Department and I am awaiting an adjudication on them from my officials. I will make the decision as soon as I can because I am aware of its importance to our regional airports.

I thank Senator Mooney for his comments in respect of the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ring, because he put significant work into allocating that money fairly and efficiently. On the issue of increased funding, I assure him that we put a massive effort into securing agreement for a third round of funding, which we will announce in the coming weeks. We will do all we can to make sure the funding provided makes a difference to people. The Senator referred to the centre for excellence in County Leitrim. I have not attended the centre but I visited the county during the summer with my family and I saw much of the great work that has been done by GAA clubs and tourism bodies. I am aware of the importance of the funding to them and others. The Minister of State and I will do all we can to make sure a good level of funding is in place and to make sure it is allocated in the way outlined by the Senator and Senator Coghlan. However, we need information from clubs and bodies first before we can do that.

Senator Mooney also raised an important issue regarding North-South co-operation.

I am absolutely committed to the role of Tourism Ireland. As a North-South body, it offers the most efficient and best way possible of marketing us as an island. I was in Boston a few weeks ago to support Tourism Ireland's event, "jump into Ireland", which was trying to get more American tourists and journalists to come to and write about Ireland. When they are deciding where to go and what to write about they look at an island; they do not decide what county to go to, they decide what they want to do while they are here. An excellent example of this is golf tourism, which is a high priority for us in the coming twelve months. We all know that two of the top ten golf clubs in the world are located in the North and I would strongly argue that the best way of marketing that across all parts of our island, North and South, is by a cohesive campaign from Tourism Ireland. I am committed, as is our Government, to the role of Tourism Ireland, whose team does an excellent job. When I was at the event in Boston, and at another event in London called "Flavours of Ireland"' a couple of weeks ago, I saw Northern businesses and tourism centres do an excellent job marketing themselves alongside businesses that are located in the South, all really well supported by Tourism Ireland.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for engaging with the members in such a frank and forthright way and fielding all the questions. It has been very refreshing and we have been able to do it here in a way that might not be possible in the Dáil Chamber.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Chairman and look forward to doing this again. I place a high value on my relationship with this committee and will be at its disposal when I can, especially in regard to legislation. Particularly in the road safety area, we have all worked together and everybody has views. I will genuinely do my best if people come forward with a good idea in that area, as Deputy Ellis has done today, to take it on board in what I am doing. I will come back to Deputy Dooley in regard to the point he made earlier and other matters. I am happy to work with members individually or through the committee to deal with issues like this.