Results 2,241-2,260 of 8,688 for speaker:Verona Murphy

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: Prior to my contribution, all my colleagues have said that the only way to get people out of cars and onto public transport is if it is faster. Usually, it just needs to be faster and not even cheaper. The quickest train from Wexford takes two hours and seven minutes. I live 30 miles from Wexford and can make it from my house to Dublin, via Wexford, in two hours. Most of the work the...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: How long has that review been going on for?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: I am the public representative. Let me tell Ms Graham what my role is.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: I have carried out research based on the proposals.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: Ms Graham can respond when-----

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: Let me get this in here. On the line to the north of Dublin, there are 139 trains from Monday to Friday. They come from Malahide, Howth, Drogheda and Belfast. There are 97 trains a day on Saturday. Wexford is served by four trains each Saturday. I asked Mr. Creegan what the population differential is, but he did not have a clue. There are 106 trains. There is a 40-train deficit between...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: Value for money does not come into it.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: Well I did not hear that from what Ms Graham said.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: I hope the NTA does, because it is clear that it is not capable of doing it in-house. What is more, I can-----

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: -----say that we are so far behind in this country in making progress with public transport. The cart is put before the horse all of the time.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: No, but the money is being spent. It just seems to be going into a black hole.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: I wish to go back to the proposal with regard to a stop on the Rosslare to Dublin line. My understanding is that Irish Rail is saying that the main constraint with the direct service is congestion on the commuter line from Bray to Connolly Station. The trains coming from the northern direction into Dublin also have to deal with the same challenge on the DART line from Malahide and Howth...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: That is it. It is down to the track and nothing else.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: To be honest, I do not know. The differential has been outlined and I have had it broken down. The service leaves six times a day and one of the journeys takes over four hours. It is crazy. It is not a service at all. As I said, it is currently not a service and the witnesses are telling me that the proposed change would not make it faster. I will ask Mr. Creegan some questions that...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: Are there plans to replace any of them?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: How does the NTA do that? How does it decide whether they go on the Wexford to Dublin line?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: So it is up to Irish Rail.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: On what basis does the NTA approve?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: Does the NTA know any of that already?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: So the NTA would have a fair idea of how many of the cars are going to be put on that line.