Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 165: To ask the Minister for Transport the proposed future structure and role for the Railway Procurement Agency; the membership of the board of the authority; if the authority will have a national role in the future; and if it will exclusively work on projects in the greater Dublin area. [6633/07]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 246: To ask the Minister for Transport the proposed future structure and role for the Railway Procurement Agency; the membership of the board of the authority; and if the authority will have a national role in the future or if it will exclusively work on projects in the Greater Dublin Area. [6805/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 246 together.

I published the report of the Dublin Transport Authority Establishment Team last November. The Team in their report made a number of recommendations in relation to the future institutional arrangements in the Greater Dublin Area following the establishment of a Dublin Transport Authority. One of their recommendations was that the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) should be absorbed into the Dublin Transport Authority and that this should happen at a time of the Authority's choosing.

I invited interested parties to submit their views, prior to the finalisation of legislation, on the structure, functional area, functions and powers recommended by the Establishment Team for the Dublin Transport Authority. Officials in my Department met with a range of interested parties, including the Railway Procurement Agency, and a number of written submissions were also received.

Having taken the opportunity to consider the views expressed during the consultation process it is my intention to publish the Dublin Transport Authority Bill in the coming weeks during the current Dáil session. However, it would be premature for me to disclose the detailed provisions of the Bill prior to its consideration and approval by Government.

I recently appointed Mr. Tom Mulcahy as chairman of the Railway Procurement Agency. I also appointed Ms Jacqui Cross and reappointed Mr. Tom Wall and Mr. Brendan Malone to the board of the Agency. Mr. Frank Allen, Mr. Hamid Foroughi and Mr. John Maguire continue to serve as board members. In addition, in anticipation of the imminent publication of the Dublin Transport Authority Bill I also appointed Mr. Tom Mulcahy as Chairman designate of the Dublin Transport Authority.