Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Like previous speakers, I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kelly, to the House. I too welcome this Bill, which is essentially a cost-saving measure. While it will initially result in additional costs, it will result in a saving of €3 million per annum in the future, which I am sure will be welcomed by taxpayers. It will also result in a reduction in the amount spent on consultancy. A bugbear of mine, and, I am sure, of other Deputies, is the amount of money spent by the State on consultancy on a yearly basis when there is a level of that expertise already available in the public service. I welcome the proposed reductions in this regard and in the procurement area as a whole.

Under this Bill, the RPA, RPA, will be dissolved, with its property and lands, rights and liabilities being transferred to the National Road Authority, combining the knowledge of both organisations to lead the way in the future delivery of transport infrastructure in Ireland. Since the coming into office of this Government, efforts have been made to rationalise and reduce the number of quangos and agencies. I am aware that the ambition of Government in this regard has not been successful owing to legal restrictions and other difficulties. However, the aim is to keep costs down and reduce staff numbers, which is what the public demands.

The RPA was established in 2001 under the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001. Since then, its main task has been the construction of the Luas network in Dublin city. The city centre is currently experiencing some turbulence due to the construction in Dawson Street of infrastructure to connect the two existing Luas lines. I acknowledge that this Bill will not create any difficulties in that regard, but perhaps the Minister of State would update us on that project. I note that 105 staff are employed in the NRA and 180 in the RPA. I presume all of these staff will transfer to the entity. Will that entity and all of those staff be housed in one building? Also, will the NRA and RPA brands cease to exist following the merger? As the title of the new entity will be the transport infrastructure service, will a rebranding exercise be required and, if so, how much has been budgeted in that regard?

On national roads, which is not an issue that arises often in my constituency of Dublin Bay North, my main concern is about overgrown shrubbery and trees and littering on the motorways, not only in my constituency but in general.

Is it the responsibility of the NRA or the local authorities to maintain the shrubbery, trees and everything else on the motorways? I find it frustrating that the issue is not being addressed adequately and it sometimes falls between the two stools.

I commend the NRA on the construction of the Dublin Port tunnel, which has made a huge difference in taking heavy goods vehicles off the roads, particularly at rush hour. At the time it was constructed it was the largest urban tunnel in Europe, at a length of 4.5 km. The opening of the tunnel has had a positive effect on air quality and traffic movement in the city centre. Dublin City Council's heavy goods vehicle management strategy, banning such vehicles from entering the city centre between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. without a permit, is bearing fruit.

In 2006 the NRA announced that it would provide for more rest and service areas along the main motorways. However, there is a complete lack of such service areas. There might be fewer accidents if people had more opportunity to break their journeys, get refreshments and resume their journeys after a period of time. I ask the Minister of State to comment on the matter.

What accountability will the new authority have to the Oireachtas regarding parliamentary questions? Will there be a dedicated unit in the new commercial State body to deal with parliamentary questions? Will we have a service level agreement to ensure we get responses in a timely manner?

Deputy Nulty spoke about tolled roads, which is a big issue for motorists who use the motorways frequently. It depends on the road being used, because there are no tolls on most roads. However, it can be very expensive, and we need to watch the increase in tolls. The matter needs to be kept under ongoing review because things are tight, and excessive increases will not go down well with the public.

While bus fare increases were mentioned, DART fare increases were not. However, I have raised the issue with the Minister of State in the past. I am also concerned about the lack of carriages on DART services, particularly during peak times. I know the Minister of State has looked into the issue directly with Irish Rail to ensure that customers get the high-quality service they demand and expect, given the amount they are paying to use it. I would like the Minister of State to confirm that the Department is monitoring the issue of increases in such fares.

I welcome the Bill. Any measure that will save taxpayers' money is welcome. Obviously it will take some years before those savings are realised. I note that the RPA is also engaged in overseas consultancy work, because it does not have the same level of work to do here given that we are not investing as much in capital infrastructure in the rail network. It is good that its expertise is being used in a positive way. I support the Bill.

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