Two appointments to board of Dublin Transport Authority

Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey has today announced the appointment of John Fitzgerald as chairperson of the soon-to-be-established Dublin Transport Authority.

Dempsey also today announced that Gerry Murphy will be appointed as chief executive officer designate of the Authority arising from a competition held by the Public Appointments Service.

"Mr Fitzgerald possesses an unparalleled experience of planning and development in the Greater Dublin Area which will be of great benefit, to the new authority given the important interaction between transport and land use planning," said Dempsey.

"Mr Murphy is well qualified to lead the new Dublin Transport Authority given his experience at a senior level in the public service and his wide experience of transport in Ireland at local and national level, including the planning and successful delivery of major infrastructural projects.

"Both John and Gerry possess the personal and professional attributes necessary to successfully lead this new important agency and they will have the full support of the Department of Transport in making this agency a real success."

"It is my intention to have the Authority in place before the end of the year. I will be appointing other members of the Authority over the coming months."

Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the Authority will be responsible for preparing a strategic transport plan for the integrated development of transport infrastructure and services in the Greater Dublin Area, which is consistent with the relevant regional planning guidelines for the area.

In addition, the DTA will have responsibility for the capital funding of all major public transport infrastructure projects planned for the Greater Dublin Area

The DTA will contract for the provision of all bus and rail services and will also have responsibility for the allocation of subventions in respect of public transport services, which are provided on a public service obligation basis.

Minister Dempsey will shortly publish the Public Transport Regulation Bill, which provides for the renaming of the Dublin Transport Authority as the National Transport Authority given its proposed national focus in relation to commercial bus route licensing, future bus and rail subvention and the regulation of small public service vehicles.