Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

608. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress made to date of the merger of the National Roads Authority and the Railway Procurement Agency; the name of the amalgamated body; when he expects the merger to be complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19992/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government decided on 12th June 2012 to approve proposals for the merger of the National Roads Authority (NRA) and the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA).  The General Scheme of a Bill to give legal effect to the merger was approved by Government on 21 February 2013. When the General Scheme was approved, I forwarded it to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications for their consideration. I am advised that the Committee have concluded their consideration of the matter. Following this consideration, the drafting of the Bill is now underway by the Office of the Parliamentary Council and it is anticipated that the Bill will be published later this year.

The working title of the new merged entity is the Transport Infrastructure Service. I have established a high-level Merger Implementation Group drawn from the Boards of both the NRA and the RPA. The Group is currently developing plans across a number of work-streams dealing with the new organisational structure, the integration of information systems,  arrangements for the transfer of employees and the identification of suitable premises. Good progress is being made and it is envisaged that the full implementation of the merger will occur upon enactment of the necessary legislation.