David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have been a Deputy for 17 years and I recall that Opposition Deputies always used to be in the Chamber for debates. I have never seen the Chamber abandoned by the Opposition.

This Bill will amalgamate the National Roads Authority and the Railway Procurement Agency. In 2001 I was involved in the deliberation on the legislation that established the RPA. Those were different times.

The amalgamation of the two bodies was recommended in the McCarthy report and in 2010 the then Minister for Transport set up a steering group to bring about this merger. I am pleased it is happening now. However, I have a slight issue with the proposed name of the new agency, the transport infrastructure service.

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