Vol. 531 No. 3
123 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she will outline an indicative timetable for the establishment of the railway procurement agency; the likely staffing requirements for the agency together with its estimated costs for first year of operation; and the location of its headquarters. [5430/01]
I expect to publish the Bill providing for the establishment of the railway procurement agency in the coming weeks and to introduce it in the Houses of the Oireachtas shortly afterwards. It is proposed that the staff of the Light Rail Project Office, LRPO, which currently has responsibility for the development of the first Luas lines, will transfer to the agency. The overall staffing levels of the agency will be a matter for the agency to determine after it is established.
The Light Rail Project Office has begun the process of identifying the likely financial requirements of the agency for its first years of operation. The location of the headquarters of the new body will be a matter for the agency to decide after it has been established.
