Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The NTA has 114 staff who are being paid an average of €73,000. By the Minister's own admission, a further 148 staff are being paid €140,000, or twice as much. This is the organisation we charge with looking after major public transport schemes and we are throwing good money after bad.

Earlier we discussed the commute misery out to Fingal. The Minister actually said that public transport had become a great success. In what universe does the Minister live to think that? Back here on Earth, people see the reality of the commute misery every day while we double the price for external consultants at the same time as arguably paying a pittance to some of our own staff and the situation continues to get worse. The Minister just does not seem to get it. He does not get the public transport misery and nightmare we have while throwing good money after bad. What will we do to take control of the Department and stop wasting money in this fashion?

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