Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am conscious that the matter raised by Question No. 68 also has been dealt with as Priority Question No. 61. However, in accordance with the rules of the House, it also has been tabled as a number of ordinary questions. For clarity, the Minister will reply to Questions Nos. 68, 73 and 117 together. Members could go through the Minister's reply again.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Transport the action he will take to significantly improve oversight of agencies under his Department's aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46428/08]

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 73: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has met the board and senior management of all 37 agencies under the aegis of his Department; the outcome of such meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46470/08]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 117: To ask the Minister for Transport the reason structured meetings with board and senior management of all agencies under his Department's aegis are not held regularly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46468/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 73 and 117 together.

I have nothing to add to my earlier answer.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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The key point is this constitutes a criticism of the lack of oversight by the Department. Many of the transport services the taxpayer pays for through the Minister are dealt with by State and semi-State agencies. The criticism is there is inadequate oversight of them. To be specific the commentary is there is no consensus among agencies of the Department as to whether the latter should have a role in monitoring these services.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Does the Deputy have a question?

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Does the Minister not agree this leads to inefficiencies and wastage of money? I refer to the lack of oversight and the consequential lack of accountability and transparency regarding the billions of euro that are being spent on Transport. There is no oversight of them.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The report stated that the Department of Transport makes every effort to ensure compliance with the code of governance by the agencies. The Department's responsibility is to ensure they comply with those codes. The report suggests the Department must adopt a strategic approach to the governance of the agencies, particularly in the context of the large number and variety of agencies under its aegis. It suggests structured meetings with the boards and that the Department should give them a clearer mandate as to what it expects from the agencies. It also suggests the Department should focus more on performance management and monitoring of the outcomes of those agencies and that it should try to improve the data flows from the agencies. The Department has addressed all four points in the initiative I instigated earlier this year to which I referred previously. I intend to implement the recommendations in this regard.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I understand the report states the Department must adopt a clear stance on customer services by its agencies. It states it is important that it considers this issue at a strategic level and develops a coherent viewpoint that is understood by all of its staff and all of its agencies. Clearly, there is a continuing serious problem in this regard.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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That means the Department should monitor the outcomes, not that it should respond to every complaint that is made by the public to the Department——-

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I am not suggesting the Department should do that.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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——which is what it is doing.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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It would be remiss of us during this debate not to state that many of the agencies we are talking about are doing a superb job. In particular, I would cite the Road Safety Authority. It is outstanding, as are some of the outcomes it is achieving with great difficulty. I commend the Minister of State with responsibility for the agency, Deputy Noel Ahern, who is here with us today.

One of the big problems with all of those agencies is that they are not answerable directly to this House. This is an issue which goes to the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and to the Ceann Comhairle, and the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. Unlike the House of Commons, we cannot raise issues, for example, such as the port tunnel in the case of the NRA and some of the safety issues in the case of the RSA. The Ceann Comhairle turned down eight or ten questions in this current batch from me and Labour Party colleagues such as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on the basis that the Minister cannot talk about the agencies. In the House of Commons, the former Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon. Ruth Kelly, spoke about any issue to do with transport. The present Secretary of State, Rt Hon. Geoff Hoone, who I watched a few days ago, speaks on any issue to do with transport on policy grounds irrespective of whether it relates to an agency.

The 30th Dáil was supposed to be a reforming Dáil. Deputy O'Dowd feels the same as I do. We were supposed to have a reformed Dáil whereby answers on all transport issues in broad policy could be obtained through the Minister. Has this Minister any objection in principle to answering the policy questions on the NRA or any of his Department's other agencies? If those agencies are not answerable to this House, then we have a major problem. That, I think, is the thrust of the Fine Gael question.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Broughan.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I am responsible in this House for policy on the agencies and I am answerable to it. The agencies are responsible and answerable to the House through the committees as well. They are also answerable through the Committee of Public Accounts.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Why turn down questions?

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The types of questions generally turned down in the Ceann Comhairle's office are ones that ask about specific operational matters for which we are clearly not responsible.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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That is just a cop-out.

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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While transport is not one of my portfolios, it is important that I rise to support the comments of Deputies O'Dowd and Broughan.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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This is actually Question Time. I hope Deputy Morgan intends to pose a question.

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Should we really expect the Minister to answer questions given that the very purpose of bringing in these agencies was that Ministers would not have to answer questions? It is most unlikely that the Minister will change his mind and begin answering questions.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Morgan is welcome to intervene, even if transport is not one of his briefs. If he was here for all of the other Question Times he would be aware that his two colleagues on the other side have always held me to account very ably.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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In the 90 seconds we have left, there is no point in moving on to another question. I will allow a brief final supplementary question on this from Deputy O'Dowd.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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We need a sea change in this area. I agree with my colleague, Deputy Broughan. The criticism of the Department and, indeed, of the Minister, is that he is not doing his job and does not have oversight of these bodies. Is it not a fact that the Department is divided as to whether these bodies should be accountable to the Minister?

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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There is no division at all. These bodies are accountable to me.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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The report states they are not.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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They actually are accountable to me. They report to me and we have in place, from the middle of this year, even stronger accountability procedures on reporting to me directly. I have no difficulty with them.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That concludes questions for today.