Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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56. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether the Railway Procurement Agency is being subsumed into the National Roads Authority; his views on whether this could be damaging to future hopes of public transport improvements here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54394/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The proposal to amalgamate the NRA and RPA is consistent with Government plans for Public Sector reform and, in particular, its programme for rationalisation of State Agencies.  

It is envisaged that the value created by RPA, in terms of organisation and specialist project management skills, will be combinted with the NRA, in a new agency Transport Infrastructure Ireland that will become a leader in the planning, delivery and management of transport infrastructure in Ireland, while also demonstrating the best and most efficient use of scarce public resources.   

The greater range of in-house expertise and skills available to the new body is expected to lead to a reduction in reliance on external consultants.  The increase in scale due to the amalgamation of both organisations is expected to generate benefits through more efficient capital expenditure and shared administration, as well as an ability to leverage greater efficiencies in procurement.