DÁIL ÉIREANN AN COMHCHOISTE UM IOMPAR, TURASÓIREACHT AGUS SPÓRT JOINT COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT, TOURISM AND SPORT Dé Céadaoin, 16 Bealtaine 2018 Wednesday, 16 May 2018 Tháinig an Comhchoiste le chéile ag 9.30 a.m. The Joint Committee met at 9.30 a.m. Comhaltaí a bhí i láthair / Members present: Teachtaí Dála / Deputies Seanadóirí / Senators Imelda Munster, Frank Feighan, Catherine Murphy, John O’Mahony. Kevin O’Keeffe, Noel Rock, Robert Troy. I láthair / In attendance: Deputies John Lahart and Eamon Ryan. Teachta / Deputy Fergus O’Dowd sa Chathaoir / in the Chair. 1 JTTS Business of Joint Committee Chairman: Apologies have been received from Senator Ned O’Sullivan. I remind members to switch off their mobile telephones as they interfere with the recording equipment. I propose that we go into private session to deal with some housekeeping matters. Is that agreed? Agreed. The joint committee went into private session at 9.39 a.m. and resumed in public session at 9.45 a.m. Business of Joint Committee (Resumed) Chairman: Before we commence our main business I wish to deal with the correspondence. No. 2018/269 is an email from Mr. Ciaran Delaney requesting the timeline for a meeting on easier accessibility to public transport for people with intellectual and acquired brain injuries. It is proposed to schedule this meeting in the near future in the context of what we discussed earlier. Is that agreed? Agreed. No. 2018/270 is an email dated 1 May from Mr. Kevin Doyle, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, regarding the date for the chairperson designate of CIE to appear before the committee. It is proposed to schedule this meeting as soon as we can. Is that agreed? Agreed. No. 2018/271 is a press release from Freight Transport Association Ireland, FTAI, regarding Brexit and Ireland’s supply chain. It is proposed to schedule a meeting on the impact of Brexit on transport infrastructure in the near future and as soon as the committee’s schedule permits. Is that agreed? Agreed. No. 2018/272 is an email from Griffith Avenue and Districts Residents Association dated 9 May regarding the re-routing of the MetroLink and the effects on residents; No. 2018/273 is an email from Mr. Michael Nolan, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, giving reasons for declining the invitation to visit the MetroLink site on that specific date; No. 2018/274 is an email from Ms Anne Graham, National Transport Authority, NTA, declining the invitation to visit the Metro- Link site on that particular date; No. 2018/275, 275(a) is an email and attachment from Ms Nic Niallaigh, principal, Scoil Mobhí, thanking the committee for the visit to the site of MetroLink and forwarding a copy of the school’s submission to the MetroLink public consultation; No. 2018/276 is an email dated 15 May from Mr. Brian Dunne supporting the emerging preferred route of the MetroLink and, finally on this issue, No. 2018/279, 279(a) is an email and attach- ment from Mr. Ronan Gahan dated 8 May regarding concerns and observations on the Metro- Link consultation process and a submission. As members will recall, the committee visited the sites in Glasnevin - I thank the clerk and the secretariat for facilitating that - impacted by the emerging preferred route for the MetroLink last week. We saw for ourselves the impact of the proposed route on local amenities, schools, sports clubs and residents. I am conscious that the public consultation process only concluded last Friday and that consideration of same will take some time. While we might touch on this 2 16 MAY 2018 issue today, considering our witnesses here this morning, I expect that the committee will be considering this matter again in the near future once deliberations on the consultation process have concluded. Is that agreed? Agreed. No. 2018/277, 277(a) is an email and attachment from Mr. Mike Walker dated 15 May requesting a invitation to appear before the committee to discuss an active travel policy for Ireland. It is proposed to schedule this meeting as soon as the committee’s schedule permits. Is that agreed? Agreed. No. 2018/278, 278(a) is an email dated 2 May from myself regarding a Leap card anomaly and the NTA’s response. We will not discuss it today but it is an important issue. I propose that we ask Irish Rail to comment on it as well and then we can discuss it. Is that agreed? Agreed. No. 2018/280 is an email from Deputy Catherine Murphy requesting that representatives of the Irish Rugby Football Union, IRFU, the Gaelic Athletic Association, GAA, and the Football Association of Ireland, FAI, appear before the committee to discuss ethics and behaviour in sport. Deputy Catherine Murphy: I am asking for this to be included in our work programme. When we are discussing the governance of the major sports it would be helpful to explore this area and how this issue could be subsumed at an early stage into standard governance. For ex- ample, we have seen the role that has been played with regard to matters such as safeguarding youngsters. It is important that this area is taken on board in a comprehensive rather than reac- tive way. It may well be that we could make some suggestions about policy changes in terms of grant aid as a consequence of doing this piece of work. I think the organisations themselves may have something to tell us about how they intend to go forward with this. In addition to the bodies there, Sport Ireland probably covers the rest of the other sports, so perhaps the four bodies rather than the three would be a better fit. Chairman: I welcome the Deputy’s suggestion. I ask that she submit the names of possible witnesses whom she might like----- Deputy Catherine Murphy: Sure. Chairman: -----to have brought before the committee to the clerk. Does anyone else wish to add anything? I call Senator O’Mahony. Senator John O’Mahony: I support Deputy Murphy’s suggestion. It comes at a very good time, given recent events, and I think many of the organisations have woken up to the need to do something about this. Chairman: We will arrange that as soon as possible. I ask Deputy Murphy to liaise with the clerk. If it is a committee priority, we will deal with it as soon as possible. We may need to look for a second date in one of the weeks because we have a lot of business backing up, but the Deputy’s suggestion is very useful. Traffic Congestion in the Greater Dublin Area and Related Matters: Discussion Chairman: We now turn to the purpose of today’s meeting, namely, consideration of the issue of traffic congestion in the greater Dublin area and other related matters, including per- 3 JTTS sistent irregular congestion in Dublin. Last Thursday, there was a meeting of the committee chairmen with the Taoiseach. I made sure I would have at least an hour to spare before the meeting began and I spent that hour sitting at the 3Arena due to traffic congestion. There was an accident there and the whole city was held up for at least an hour and half, I reckon. Nothing was moving from the Port Tunnel and the traffic was backed up as far as the airport, I believe. Such congestion is happening everywhere. The M1 and the M50 are regular examples of same. We will also discuss issues surrounding the Luas and the proposed College Green plaza. Last February, the committee met a range of representatives from Dublin City Council, Dublin Bus, Transdev, AA Ireland, the Irish Taxi Drivers’ Federation and the Taxi Alliance of Ireland regard- ing traffic congestion in the College Green area. Before we commence, I also wish to take this opportunity - I actually did so earlier - to thank the representatives of the schools who met us last week. While I am conscious that the public consultation on MetroLink will take some time, we will discuss it again. I welcome our witnesses. The order in which I have them listed is Mr. Michael Nolan, CEO of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and Mr. Hugh Creegan, deputy CEO of the National Trans- port Authority. They have other staff members with them. If they wish to make any comment at any stage, they should feel free to do so. Before we commence, I am required to read the following. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and they are asked to respect the par- liamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an of- ficial either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I now invite Mr. Michael Nolan, CEO of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, to make his open- ing statement. Mr. Michael Nolan: I thank the Chairman and the members of the committee for their in- vitation to attend.