Seán Canney
Galway East · Independent · Ireland
“To obtain an operational authorisation, an operator must provide a comprehensive safety portfolio, which includes assessing and addressing both ground and air risks with appropriate mitigations. Manna Air Delivery holds such an authorisation from the IAA.”
“The national policy framework for UAS, agreed by the Government, was published by the Minister in August last year. The policy framework aims to guide high-level strategic planning and development in the drone sector in Ireland through support, growth and innovation, while ensuring safe and secure operations.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. I note Manna Air Delivery's recent statement that it will for now cease deliveries by drone in Ireland.”
“It proposes 16 actions under three main areas: the use of airspace and planning; compliance and enforcement; and enterprise and innovation. Actions in the policy framework include the establishment of a national working group on UAS geographical zones to develop transparent processes and procedures for the designation of these zones; the…”
“This new route provides passengers travelling from Charleville to Cork with a morning service at 7.05 a.m. and a service from Cork to Charleville at 5.45 p.m., Monday to Friday. This new route is part of the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan, a major public transport initiative.”
“I thank the Deputy. I reassure him again that the Department, its Minister, Deputy O’Brien, my fellow Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I are fully committed to delivering a more sustainable, inclusive and accessible transport system for the benefit of current and future generations.”
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“The group has been making great progress, with support from officials in my Department, to address systemic challenges. In 2023, the group organised Ireland's first ever logistics and supply chain skills week to promote careers in the sector and engage with supply chain executives on the new skills needed now and into the future. It has become an annual event, with a plan under way for 2026 to coincide with the 19th European Supply Chain Day. Skills week also includes a dedicated event for transition year students organised by my Department that highlights the potential careers in the sector. Next year's transition year event will take place on 23 April at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin.”
“We must continue to support this transition. I will outline the concrete measures that can be implemented right now at little or no cost. Eco-driving techniques can help drivers to reduce their fuel use and emissions, while enhancing road safety for all road users. A national standard for eco-driving courses has been established and a range of subsidised or fully funded eco-driving training courses are available to HGV drivers. The promotion of digital and operational efficiencies such as load sharing and logistics consolidation hubs are also being explored by my Department. The logistics and supply chain skills group was established in 2019 to support the promotion of careers, skills development and sustainable employment in the logistics and supply chain sector.”
“The conclusions of the study indicate that unless the renewable transport fuel obligation is also reformed, increasing the use of HVO in the HGV sector will simply shift biofuel use to HGVs and away from other road sectors, thereby leading to only modest reductions in overall emissions. In addition, the study also forecast that a subsidy to equalise the price of HVO with diesel by 2030 would cost the Exchequer €502 million. That is the single-year cost of this type of subsidy and, as I indicated, the overall reduction in emissions would be minimal. Although the financial costs of implementing sustainability initiatives can be a significant barrier for the haulage sector, I am heartened to note in the FTAI 2025 report that more than three quarters of those surveyed have sustainability policies in place.”
“Ireland's carbon tax is an integral part of the Government's response to the need to address climate change and meet the legally binding commitments established in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. As annual increases in the carbon tax are implemented, the differential in tax costs between biofuels and fossil fuels will continue to widen, further incentivising the uptake of biofuels. However, demand for renewable transport fuels is growing across many sectors and supplies are likely to remain constrained given current global production capacity. My Department recently finalised a study on the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO, in the heavy-goods vehicle sector, including the likely future availability and price, the decarbonisation potential and potential transitional incentives.”
“For diesel vehicles, the current fuel blend available at garage forecourts is approximately 7% biodiesel. My Department intends to raise this to 20% by 2030. I am aware, as I am sure everybody in the House is, that the cost of renewable fuels is higher than the cost of diesel and that the haulage sector has called for the introduction of subsidies for alternative fuels. While the interaction between fuel prices, taxation and a wider shift away from fossil fuels is complex and a matter of tax policy for the Department of Finance, Deputies may find it helpful to know that biofuels are fully relieved from the carbon component of mineral oil tax. This means carbon tax does not apply to biofuels, such as hydrogenated vegetable oil or biomethane, used in road vehicles, whether private or commercial.”
“While not all haulage operators qualify for the scheme, it should be noted that the total number of DRS claimants in 2023 represented only 46% of the total number of eligible road haulage operators in the State. All operators are encouraged to make the best use of all available Government grants for which they are eligible. As we cannot afford to wait for electrification measures to have an impact, the use of renewable fuels in the interim must be encouraged. We need to increase the blend of biodiesel in the national fuel mix to deliver a level of emissions savings from the existing fleet. The renewable transport fuels obligation scheme requires suppliers of mineral oil to ensure a percentage of the motor fuel they place on the market in Ireland is produced from renewable sources.”
“Two tax incentive schemes that allow operators to reduce their immediate tax bill against company profits when investing in zero-emission vehicles are in place. My Department is also looking at the charging infrastructure requirements for heavy-duty vehicles, HDVs, through the HDV electrification pathway working group. The group has been tasked to develop a strategy to set out a pathway for the electrification of the heavy-duty fleet in Ireland. I look forward to hearing the outcomes of this important work. In regard to the ongoing reliance on diesel, I remind Deputies that the diesel rebate scheme, DRS, has been in place since 2013 and remains available to licensed haulage operators in respect of vehicles over 7.5 tonnes. At diesel prices over €1.43, including VAT, a maximum rebate of 7.5 cent per litre is provided.”
“The road haulage strategy provides a roadmap for how the sector can decarbonise to meet the targets set out in the climate action plan. Given that the Irish haulage sector is currently almost exclusively fuelled by diesel, I am sure Deputies will agree that decarbonisation will be a significant challenge for the sector in the medium term to 2030 and beyond. My Department has provided targeted supports to assist the sector on its journey to zero emissions. The zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle, ZEHDV, purchase grant scheme has a budget of €3.5 million in 2025. It supports the purchase of zero-emission vehicles and associated charging infrastructure. The fleet assessment audit offers businesses an assessment by an independent energy adviser, who will provide guidance on the transition to zero-emission vehicles.”
“The road freight forum held its first meeting in February 2023. It is chaired by my Department and its membership includes representatives of the National Transport Authority, NTA; the Road Safety Authority, RSA; Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII; the Freight Transport Association Ireland, FTAI; and the Irish Road Haulage Association, IRHA. The forum formalises engagement between key stakeholders and builds on the work done in response to the international crises I mentioned earlier. It supports collaboration, which is key to identifying practical and effective solutions to support the sector to maintain Ireland's essential trade and strategic supply chains. The forum also monitors the implementation of the road haulage strategy and provides an opportunity for stakeholders to identify emerging challenges at the earliest opportunity.”
“In December 2022, the Government published Ireland's road haulage strategy 2022-31 following two phases of public consultation. The strategy highlights the importance of the haulage and rail freight sectors and identified 39 actions, split into short-term priorities expected to be completed within the next two to three-year timeframe and enablers for medium to long-term progress that will ensure the delivery of policy objectives over the full term of the strategy. Implementation of the short-term actions has progressed well since publication and two annual progress reports have been published to date. A key action identified in the road haulage strategy was to establish a road freight forum with representatives from Departments, agencies, the haulage and freight industry and the logistics sector.”
“While there was a decline in road freight activity in 2020, all available measures, such as the number of laden journeys undertaken and tonnes carried, have increased year-on-year since 2021 and were above the 2019 levels by the end of last year. I want to draw the attention of the House to the recently published Freight Transport Association Ireland manager's guide to distribution costs 2025 report. It is positive to note that this year's report shows a continued slowdown in the average rate of increase in business and transport overhead costs and that operating profit margins are increasing year-on-year. However, it is crucial that the Government continues to support the sector and I would like to provide Deputies with an overview of the strategies being implemented by officials in my Department aimed specifically at the sector.”
“While nobody would deny events such as Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine have driven up costs in what is already a sector with a tight profit margin, there are reasons to be positive about the trajectory and future growth of the sector. At the end of 2024, my Department reported that over 44,500 commercial goods vehicles exceeding 3.5 tonnes were taxed in Ireland. This was an increase of 4% from almost 42,800 in December 2023 and the second year in a row that the numbers increased. There were almost 4,000 licensed road haulage operators registered in Ireland in 2024, with 24,300 vehicles operating on these licences. Approximately 65 of those haulage operators are licensed to operate internationally, with the other 35% operating domestically.”
“I welcome the opportunity to address the House on road haulage costs and how the Government is supporting this critical sector. I will share my time with the Ministers of State, Deputies Christopher O'Sullivan and Jerry Buttimer. Geopolitical events over the past number of years and the storm damage to Holyhead at the end of last year have highlighted the importance of the road haulage sector and the contribution it makes to our economy, facilitating domestic and international trade. During this period of instability, the sector has demonstrated resilience and a willingness to work with policymakers to overcome challenges and promote careers, skills development and sustainable employment in the wider logistics and supply chain sector in Ireland.”
“We need to act faster to get these small imperfections sorted out in order that we have a smoother transport system. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter with me.”
“We are investing a lot of money in BusConnects. We are investing money in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. The important thing is that if the routes do not work right, it is bad value for money. While we will have teething problems when we start a new route, it is important that we let people know and engage with the public, not just public representatives, and that we do so through multifaceted communication. It is important that if something is not working, we look and see how we can improve it rather than just leaving it there. We have a lot in the Department of Transport to bring back to the NTA after tonight's discussions, and a lot of it has a common thread. Public transport is probably working relatively well, but when there is a problem it becomes the overburdening thing in people's minds.”
“I will get to the good part for the Deputy. Many communities have benefited from the first direct connection to the likes of UCD from the Long Mile Road, Crumlin hospital, Ballyfermot, Cherry Orchard, Rathgar and Milltown on the S4, and Firhouse Road, Cherryfield and Templeogue on the S6 route. The Deputy asked about the S6. It will move to a high-frequency timetable to improve punctuality, while the S8 will get run time adjustments to boost reliability. These improvements will go live on 30 November. Coming back to what the Deputy has said, the important thing is that we have a reliable service, that people understand the routes and where to get on and off and that we create, as I said earlier, an experience for passengers such that they will continue to use public transport. We are investing a lot of money in public transport.”
“To put that into context, routes 17 and 175 used to provide approximately five services an hour in each direction during peak times. We have introduced a lot of bus routes and changed them around. I will come back in and answer a bit more for the Deputy.”
“The NTA and transport operators are working hard to ensure that the services are bedding in well but understand that it can take some time for people to get accustomed to any new arrangement. The kind of issues experienced at the launch of phase 7 are similar to those experienced during the early stages of implementation of previous phases that were addressed and resolved. In terms of the S orbital, phase 5b commenced on 26 November 2023 and involved the introduction of new southern orbital, radial and local routes. The S2, 74 and L25 routes are operated by Dublin Bus, while the S4, S6, S8, W2 and L55 are operated by Go-Ahead Ireland. This phase represented a major boost in service levels of approximately 80%.”
“It is acknowledged that these changes require some passengers to make their journeys in a different way. In some cases, customers now benefit from direct services where transfers were previously required, while others may need to interchange. The TFI 90 fare ensures that transfers incur no additional cost. In the days after the launch of phase 7, the NTA reported a technical fault in the Dublin Bus priority system, which adjusts traffic signals to ease bus movement. The fault lasted three consecutive days and caused unexpected delays, which understandably frustrated customers. Thankfully, the issue was resolved quickly, and performance is expected to continue to improve. While this issue was separate from the BusConnects new service roll-out, it did impact all Dublin Bus routes during that period.”
“The recently launched F spine, providing routes F1, F2, and F3, is part of phase 7 of the BusConnects network redesign and introduces high-frequency, 24-hour bus services on routes F1, F2 and 80 on key corridors, enhancing connectivity between areas such as Tallaght, Finglas, Charlestown and the city centre. This redesign also introduces new radial services on routes 23, 24, 73 and 82, and the new local route L89, to streamline the network and make services more efficient. Ahead of implementation, the NTA undertook extensive communication efforts, distributing over 200,000 booklets to households across the areas covered by the routes. It also advertised the new services in local media outlets and online and provided detailed briefings to local public representatives.”
“That being said, I reassure Deputy Ahern that the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this. To support this objective, the Department of Transport secured €940 million in budget 2026 in funding for public service obligation and TFI Local Link services, an increase of 43% from €658 million in 2025. BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system, providing better bus services across our cities. It is the largest investment in the bus system in the history of the State and is managed by the NTA. The aim of the network is to improve the existing Transport for Ireland system through enhanced services with high frequency spines and new local, orbital and radial routes.”
“I thank Deputy Ahern for raising this important issue. It is following the theme of lots of tonight's priority and oral questions during Question Time. I am taking this issue on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, who is in Brazil. I want to clarify that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, neither the Minister, me as Minister of State or the officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services rests with the National Transport Authority.”
“It is but I do not think that whatever is being done at present is breaching regulations. It is using the pricing structures to bring down the price a bit, which customers will think is great but in the long term we need to have a sustainable taxi industry. This is why we set increases through the regulator, so that people can make a living from it. Being a taxi driver is not the easiest job in the world. The big issue is the dispatch operators that drivers sign up with, what the conditions are and whether they are in breach of the regulations. I will bring this back. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is away at COP in Brazil, which is why I am taking this particular question. It is not that I am abdicating responsibility. I will bring it back to him and we will have a chat with the officials about it on behalf of Deputy Boyd Barrett.”
“If it is underpricing, it means it is pricing other people out of the market. This is something we can go back to and look at from the point of view of the Department and speak to the NTA about it.”
“As I mentioned in my opening statement, the regulation of the SPSV industry, including the setting of fares, is a matter for the independent transport regulator. It is also important to say that taxi fixed price is a new trip option recently introduced by Uber in Ireland, whereby passengers see a single maximum price for a trip before requesting it. I understand the Uber fixed price is also available in other jurisdictions in Europe. How it works is that a price is displayed in advance showing the maximum fare for a ride, and the user pays the lower of the metre fare or the maximum price fare. It is set out in the legislation that charges in excess of the maximum fare can lead to prosecution, although charging below the maximum fare is permitted. This is probably the kernel of the problem.”
“They are not obliged to be affiliated with any dispatch operator. Where they choose to do so, taxi drivers are free to contract with a dispatch operator of their choice. Neither the Minister nor the NTA are parties to the commercial or contractual arrangements between SPSV drivers and their dispatch operators. Accordingly, the Department and the NTA have no role in the approval of such matters. There is a fixed payment offence associated with the misuse of taximeters set out by the NTA in the Small Public Service Vehicle (Fixed Payment Offences and Driver Licence Period) Regulations 2022.”
“This increase includes a special rate for the weekend peak of 12 midnight to 4.00 a.m. on Friday night into Saturday morning and Saturday night into Sunday morning, year round, to incentivise more drivers to service the night-time economy. This followed on from the October 2022 order in which a 12% increase on fares was introduced. As set out in the legislation, charging more than the maximum fare can lead to a prosecution. However, charging below the maximum fare is permitted. The Minister understands that the Uber fixed price offer does not breach the maximum fare regulatory provisions for taxis or constitute an offence associated with the misuse of taximeters. SPSV operators are self-employed and may decide whether or not to sign-up with a licensed dispatch operator, such as Uber.”
“It is important to note that hackneys and limousines agree their fares in advance and do not use a meter. The NTA's most recent fare review was undertaken between November 2023 and March 2024. During this review, the NTA took account of the most significant economic issues that were relevant to the SPSV sector, which included inflation and cost of living, fuel prices and energy supply, geopolitical uncertainty and increased public transport availability. Following this review and a public consultation on the matter, the NTA introduced the Taxi Regulation (Maximum Fares) Order 2024, which increased taxi fares by an average of 9%. This came into operation on 1 December 2024 and ensures that taxi fares continue to reflect the rising costs associated with operating a taxi in Ireland.”
“With the Uber taxi fixed price option, I understand that the customer is now provided with a maximum guaranteed price upfront. If the final price on the taximeter is less than the initial maximum price provided, users pay the lower price on the meter. If the final price on the taxi meter is greater than the maximum price, users pay the maximum price only. From a legislative perspective, section 24 of the Consolidated Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016 empowers the NTA board to make a maximum fares order, fixing the maximum fare that may be charged by the driver of a taxi for any one journey. The current maximum fares order took effect in December 2024, and a maximum fare review is carried out approximately every two years. The NTA has conducted these reviews since 2011.”
“I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for raising this. Neither the Minister for Transport nor his Department are involved in the day-to-day operation of the small public service vehicle, SPSV, sector. The National Transport Authority, NTA, the independent transport regulator, has responsibility for setting taxi fares under the provisions of the Consolidated Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I am informed that on 3 November 2025, Uber Ireland introduced a new option on their platform providing their customers with a single maximum price for a trip before requesting. This option is referred to on the platform as the taxi fixed price. Usually, when booking a taxi with Uber or other dispatch operators, a price range of the approximate cost of the journey is shown.”
“I am delighted the Deputy raised this specific area because sometimes we look at Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway but we need to make sure the west, north west and all around are connected by rail, as they should be, and right up into Northern Ireland, as we are doing on the Dublin to Belfast line. It is important we keep that momentum going and I look forward to working with the Deputy on that over the next four years.”
“I thank the Deputy for the question. It is important we discuss the all-island rail review, for which I have overall responsibility. I have a passion for rail and think it is important we restore as many of the lines as possible and do as many of the connections we can, especially in the west and north west where rail is lacking, and in the Deputy's constituency. I met some people in Ulster in relation to the connection between Derry and Letterkenny and the line from Portadown through Down. We have the basis for this, namely, the all-island rail strategy. We have identified projects that can be done quickly and that we can get ready for implementation. When we launch our sectoral plan that will show exactly what we are doing.”
“That is the challenge and with the demands we have, it is important we continue to challenge ourselves to make sure we are delivering value for money and getting the results we want.”
“From the surveys and data I have given the Deputy, I am convinced we are reducing CO2 emissions. In my own opinion, having been talking about this issue for the past hour and a half, when we put in active travel measures we need to talk about having effective public transport. We have an integrated transport travel system that will give an experience to pedestrians, cyclists and people using public transport so they will continue to use that. As regards some of the improvements we have to make, in order to get more cars off the road we have to be able to say to people that they will be able to get to places on time, will be able to go shopping and get a bus back, will be able to get to work because a service will be there for them, and that they will have a bit of comfort in whatever mode of transport they use.”
“It is important we see the outcomes that are delivered from the investment of taxpayers' money in these projects. I welcome the Deputy's question on this matter.”
“As I said, large-scale surveys were carried out in 2023. That is what we have at this stage. When we are investing money in active travel we want to make sure before we start that it will actually deliver what it says on the tin and we want to see afterwards if we got the necessary outputs. That is the same for every infrastructure project we carry out. There is an assessment carried out before projects are started to see what benefits they will bring. I will go back to the Department to see what other data we have or hope to get because, from my own background, I understand that if we are spending money on something, we have to find out if it is value for money, and not just in an intangible way. We have to see the facts and figures.”
“To ensure we are moving in the right direction, the NTA, in conjunction with the relevant local authorities, has produced a transport strategy for the greater Dublin area, as well as metropolitan area transport strategies for the cities of Cork, Limerick and Waterford, with one under way for Galway. These strategies set out the measures that will help us achieve a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030 and set us on a path towards zero net emissions by 2050. To verify that the measures in the strategies are being implemented in a co-ordinated, effective and timely manner, the NTA will undertake a monitoring programme and will produce a report which will be finalised for the greater Dublin area in advance of the review of the strategy for the greater Dublin area, which is due to commence in 2026.”
“In addition to environmental benefits, the economic impact of active travel across the five metropolitan areas is estimated at over €3 billion annually, alongside major and important improvements in public health and air quality. The Deputy refers specifically to commuters in County Dublin and I am delighted to say that every day those commuters who walk, wheel or cycle are taking nearly 530,000 cars off the road in the Dublin metropolitan area. These practices are saving approximately 120,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. I have more figures here for the Deputy.”
“I thank the Deputy for asking this very important question. Based on large-scale surveys and analysis from the NTA's Walking and Cycling Index 2023 for Ireland’s five metropolitan areas - Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick-Shannon, and Waterford - active travel is delivering significant environmental benefits nationally. Walking, wheeling and cycling in these metropolitan areas remove approximately 680,000 car trips every day, reducing congestion and meaningfully cutting emissions. In 2023 alone, active travel saved an estimated 160,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to 2.2 million passenger trips from Dublin to London Heathrow.”
“At the end of the day, my philosophy and that of the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is that if somebody is using public transport, we need to give them a response and an experience such that they will continue to use public transport and be able to rely on it. That is important, especially for people with disabilities. I know Deputy Heneghan is very passionate about that.”
“I accept what Deputy Heneghan is saying in that we have to have public engagement when we are carrying out works so people know what is going on. The Deputy might send to my office what the issues and problems are and what the stations are. He mentioned Kilbarrack there. It says here line-marking and nosing of stairwell and it talks about surface repairs but, if the Deputy sends me the list and the time the works were carried out, I will get an answer for him. It is an important thread that is coming through all night in the questions. Where you have customer dissatisfaction, the important thing is that if we hear about it and we try to get corrective action.”
“There are ten or 12 stations and work is being carried out on them all to keep them all right with accessibility on every one of them: ramps to platforms, ramps and lift to platform 1 and a ramp to platform 2 and platforms via accessible ramps. The accessibility standards have been set out for each one of them. The one in Clongriffin underwent significant improvement works and the tender has gone out for the replacement of the stairwells there. On that lift and stairs, Iarnród Éireann does not own the stairs and lifts that lead to the coast development and has not at any time been responsible for their maintenance. Maybe my things are getting confused as well.”
“I am just looking here at information for the Howth station. Some general maintenance and cyclical work are being carried out, including line marking and nosing on stairwells. An anti-slip surface will be placed on all stairwells. Access to all platforms via lifts or stairs is the accessibility element. On the Deputy's specific question of what Iarnród Éireann did before it carried out works and the notification thereof, I will go back to the company and try to find out what it did and get the answers for him. If he wants to give me the specific questions, I will go back to Iarnród Éireann on them. Of all the stations, many are mentioned in the reply.”
“All stations undergo cyclical work and general maintenance, with minor station improvements as required. For example, Iarnród Éireann is currently replacing stairwells at the Clontarf Road station that were due for renewal. Iarnród Éireann is satisfied at this time that no station is in current disrepair. However, if there is a specific issue at a particular station that the Deputy wants to raise, I would be happy to go back to Irish Rail-Iarnród Éireann on his behalf.”
“This includes engagement with the Irish Rail disability users group and other disability representative bodies throughout the course of design. Focusing on the specifics of the Deputy's question regarding DART stations in north Dublin, these stations are inspected and maintained on a continuous basis to ensure Iarnród Éireann meets the required standards in terms of accessibility and customer experience. All DART stations in north Dublin are accessible by means of a lift, platform or ramp. The big lift programme saw investment in existing lifts at 52 stations across the network between 2020 and 2024, significantly improving lift reliability. The liftcall system is also in place at most station lifts, ensuring live monitored access and preventing vandalism and anti-social behaviour.”
“I thank the Deputy very much for raising the question. I assure him my Department and the agencies that work under it are all fully aware of the need to ensure we have a transport system designed for all users and accessible to everyone. We have made progress in this regard in recent years, but still there is a lot to be done. We are committed to that work in the years ahead to deliver on the ambition of pillar 5 of the new national human rights strategy for disabled people. Turning specifically to rail, Iarnród Éireann continuously works to enhance accessibility upgrades to all stations and services, and the investment programmes, to ensure that accessibility is integrated from design stage to fruition.”
“It is about getting the best value for money in order that money is not wasted and we have money to pay for other services. That is important. The balance has to be kept in that regard.”
“The Deputy talked about the minimum wage but the minimum wage was increased in the budget. It is important to keep a balance on the discussion. When it comes to people at senior management level, you are trying to make sure that we get the best value for money. In the context of the Department of Transport, as billions of euro are being invested in transport, that is important. Every chief executive who is working within transport and is responsible for the running of these organisations has a lot of people and responsibility. It is important to say that we have the right people in those positions. I do not disagree that there are people who need more pay but it is not related. The performance has been tested and there is a demand for people who can run the agencies to get the best out of them.”
“I hear what the Deputy is saying but it is a fine balance between having these State agencies operating in an effective manner and carrying out their jobs properly while also working within the bands set out by the Department of public expenditure and reform.”
“First, the salary increases are in line with the aegis of the Department of public expenditure and reform and the guidelines set out by it. It is important to say that salaries of CEOs are in line with the responsibilities they take on. They vary from agency to agency, depending on the responsibility they have, the number of people working in the organisation and all that goes with that. With State and semi-State agencies, it is important that we have people in control who are able to progress Government policy, expenditure and infrastructure changes, especially in the area of transport where at all times we are trying to improve our roads, rail and all of our transport infrastructure. It is important that we attract the best people to these jobs. It is a fine balance.”