Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

However, it does not give the joint committee a fundamental role. The committee should be able to add its ha'penny worth to the debate. Its view should be referred to the Minister for a final invigilation. I think Deputy O'Dowd is trying to achieve a real engagement of that nature. We are used to such engagement on constitutional grounds at the Committee of Public Accounts, of which I am a member. Deputy Durkan is a long-standing and distinguished former member of the committee, which has a role in signing off on important investigations, some of which we have discussed in the past six or nine months. The other Oireachtas committees do not have such a fundamental role. The Oireachtas has a very poor committee structure, in general and it will be necessary to address that in the context of Dáil reform. This Bill should be amended so that it gives the Joint Committee on Transport an elevated role in fundamental strategic transport planning in the seven or eight counties in which the authority will be involved in the coming months. I support Deputy O'Dowd's amendment. The Minister should go a step further and give the Joint Committee on Transport a real role and teeth.

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