PAC to focus on Department of Transport accounts

22 February 2017

The agenda for tomorrow’s meeting is:

(i) Business of the Committee;

(ii) Appropriation Accounts 2015 Vote 31: Transport Tourism and Sport [Representatives from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport]

Committee Chairman Seán Fleming said: “Tomorrow we will discuss the 2015 appropriation accounts for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport which plays a key role in developing and maintaining transport, tourism and sport infrastructure to support economic growth and social progress.

“Among the issues we will be addressing with the Department are: funding on major projects during 2015; priority projects scheduled for funding in the next 3 to 5 years; is urban/rural and regional balance a consideration in the selection of projects and how is this balance achieved. We will also be interested in discussing how much was paid in 2015 in respect of PPP operational payments as compensation to PPP companies for toll income being less than anticipated.

“Also of interest to the Committee are public service payment provisions – the payment of an annual subvention to transport operators in respect of socially necessary, but financially non-viable, transport services and how these are calculated.

“Other areas we may consider are expenditure on regional airports, road safety and payroll overpayments. Under the heading of Sport we will examine the considerable underspend in 2015 for grants for the provision and renovation of swimming pools.”

This meeting will take place in Committee room 3 at 9am on Thursday, 23 February 2017. Committee proceedings can be viewed live here

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.