Committee Reports::Annual Report of the Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport, 1998 -1999::27 January, 2000::Report


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TITHE AN OIREACHTAIS

TUARASCÁIL BHLIANTÚIL ón gComhchoiste um Fhiontair Phoiblí agus Iompar Obair an Chomhchoiste

ANNUAL REPORT of the Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport

1998-1999

Work Programme of the Joint Committee 2000

TITHE AN OIREACHTAIS

TUARASCÁIL BHLIANTÚIL ón gComhchoiste um Fhiontair Phoiblí agus Iompar Obair an Chomhchoiste

ANNUAL REPORT of the Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport

1998-1999

Work Programme of the Joint Committee 2000

Table of Contents

1.	Content and Format of Report	3
2.	Functions and Powers of the Joint Committee	3
3.	Chairman, Vice Chairman, Convenors and Membership	3
4.	Meetings, Attendance and Recording	4
5.	Number and Duration of Meetings	4
6.	Work of the Committee	5
	6.1Joint Committee	5
	6.2Dáil Select Committee	5
7.	Groups and Individuals attending before Committee	5
8.	Joint Committee Reports	6
9.	Work Programme 2000	6
10.	Travel by the Joint Committee	6
11.	Function and Powers	6
Appendix 1: Orders of Reference		A1
Appendix 2: Members of the Joint Committee		A5
Appendix 3: Meetings of the Joint Committee		A7
Appendix 4: Meetings of the Dáil Select Committee		A9
Appendix 5: Attendance at Meetings of the Joint Committee		A11
Appendix 6: Attendance at Meetings of the Dáil Select Committee		A15
Appendix 7: Minutes of Proceedings of the Joint Committee		A17
Appendix 8: Work Programme 2000		A51

1. Content and Format of Report

This report has been prepared pursuant to paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Standing Order 79A, Dáil Éireann and paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Standing Order 63, Seanad Éireann which provides for Joint Committee reports and work programmes as follows—

*review of its procedure and its role

*annual work programme

*laying minutes of proceedings

*making an annual report.

At its meeting on 25 November, 1999 the Committee agreed that all these items be included in its annual report.

2. Functions and Powers of the Joint Committee

The Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport was established by Order of Dáil Éireann of 13th November, 1997 and Order of Seanad Éireann of 19th November, 1997 as part of a programme of Oireachtas reform involving the refining of the Committee system to enable more detailed examination of Government Departments including-

*public affairs administered by each Department

*legislation and expenditure proposals of each Department

*certain matters relating to bodies under the aegis of each Department.

The Orders of Reference of the Joint Committee were modified by further Orders of Dáil Éireann of 28th April, 1998 (new subparagraph (2)(a)(iv) added) and Seanad Éireann of 30th April, 1998 (new subparagraph (2)(a)(iv) added) and the Orders of Reference of the Joint Committee, as so modified, are set out at Appendix 1.

3. Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Convenors and Membership

Deputy Seán Doherty was elected as Chairman of the Joint Committee on 4 December, 1997. Deputy Brendan Daly was elected as Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee on 10 December, 1997. The Chairman of the Joint Committee is also Chairman of the Dáil Select Committee.

Deputies Martin Brady and Austin Currie are the Convenors of the Committee whose function it is to ensure the availability and attendance of Members or their substitutes for meetings of the Committee and, in particular, to ensure Members’ availability for divisions.

The Members of the Joint Committee are set out at Appendix 2.

4. Meetings, Attendance and Recording

Meetings of the Joint Committee took place in the Committee rooms in Kildare House. Meetings were in public unless otherwise ordered by the Joint Committee.

Televised coverage of public meetings of the Joint Committee was broadcast live within the Leinster House complex and was available for subsequent public broadcasting by R.T.É.

Verbatim written reports of public meetings of the Select Committee in relation to Bills and Estimates for the Public Services, Vote 32 Public Enterprise were published and may be purchased from the Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.

Copies of other reports published by the Joint Committee may be obtained from the Clerk, Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport, Kildare House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. A list of these reports is set out at Section 8.

5. Number and Duration of Meetings

The Joint Committee scheduled 22 meetings in the period (November, 1998, to 30 November, 1999) under report. The number of hours discussion involved in these meetings was in excess of 39 hours. The date and subject matter of each meeting is set out at Appendix 3.

The Dáil Select Committee met on 13 occasions in the period under report and the number of hours discussion involved in these meetings was in excess of 18 hours. The date and subject matter of each meeting is set out at Appendix 4.

Records of attendance by Members of the Joint Committee and their duly nominated substitutes at meetings of the Joint Committee are set out at Appendix 5.

Records of attendance by Members of the Dáil Select Committee and their duly nominated substitutes at meetings of the Dáil Select Committee are set out at Appendix 6.

Minutes of proceedings of the Joint Committee meetings in public session are attached at Appendix 7.

6. Work of the Committee

6.1 Joint Committee

On the 22 occasions the Committee met it dealt with the following matters:

*Inland Public Transport

*Telecommunications Regulation

*Radon in Homes.

*Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing and International Security

*Ryanair plans for Dublin and Shannon Airports

*Strategic Direction and I.P.O. of Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta

*Electricity Capacity

*Post Office Network

6.2 Dáil Select Committee

On the 13 occasions the Committee met it dealt with the following matters:

*Supplementary Estimate 1998 - Department of Public Enterprise

*Postal and Telecommunications Services (Amendment) Bill, 1998 - Committee Stage

*Road Transport Bill, 1998 - Committee Stage

*Revised Estimate 1999 - Department of Public Enterprise.

*Electricity Regulation Bill, 1998 - Committee Stage

*Radiological Protection (Amendment) Bill, 1998 - Committee Stage [Seanad]

7. Groups and Individuals attending before Committee

In the period under report the Joint Committee met with the following:

*The Minister for Public Enterprise

*Civil Servants from the Departments of Public Service, Environment and Local Government and Health and Children

*3 State Sponsored Bodies (E.S.B., Aer Rianta and An Post)

*5 Interest Groups (Irish Business and Employers Confederation, Private Association of Motor Bus Owners, Federation Of Transport Operators, United Christian Broadcasters and Chiropractic Association of Ireland)

*3 Consultants (Colm McCarthy, International Risk Management Services and Arthur D. Little)

*C.I.E. Group of Unions

*Dublin Transportation Office

*National Economic and Social Council and the Economic and Social Research Institute.

*Director of Telecommunications Regulation

*Western Development Commission.

*The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland.

*Dr. Gordon Thompson, Institute of Resource & Security Studies, USA.

*Chief Executive of Ryanair.

*Irish Postmasters’ Union.

8. Joint Committee Reports

During the year under report the Joint Committee published the following reports:

*Annual Report 1997-1998 and Work Programme 1999

*Non-Ionising Microwave Radiation Transmissions from Communications Masts.

*Public Transport Investment Priorities for the Millennium.

*Meeting with Radiological Protection Institution of Ireland and Dr. Gordon Thompson, Institute of Resource and Security Studies, U.S.A.

9. Work Programme 2000

A copy of the Joint Committees work programme for 2000 is at Appendix 8.

10. Travel by the Joint Committee

During the period 1 - 7 August, 1999 a delegation from the Joint Committee went to San Francisco on a fact finding visit in connection with its report on Public Transport Investment. The delegation which visited comprised of Deputies Seán Doherty (Chairman), Liam Aylward, Martin Brady, Austin Currie and Senators John Cregan and Fergus O’Dowd. The main focus of the visit was to see how the city provides for maintenance, modernisation, renewal and expansion of the rail, road and waterway networks with particular emphasis on the more “environmentally friendly” transport systems.

11. Function and Powers

The Committee is happy with its present procedures and role following the modification of its Orders of Reference in 1998.

Seán Doherty, T.D.

Chairman of the Joint Committee

January 2000