178. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Transport if he has authority over the National Transport Authority, NTA; and if the NTA is accountable to his Department. [67016/26]

As the Deputy will be aware, the National Transport Authority (NTA) is a non-commercial State body operating under the aegis of the Department of Transport. While the Authority exercises its functions independently, it is fully accountable to my Department for its performance, governance and use of public funds. This is established through both legislation and the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, which is implemented through a number of formal oversight mechanisms.

Firstly, under the Code of Practice, an Oversight Agreement (OA) and a Performance Delivery Agreement (PDA) are in place between my Department and the NTA. These agreements clearly define:

• the statutory and policy framework within which the NTA must operate;

• the respective roles and responsibilities of the Authority and the Department;

• key outputs, performance indicators and reporting requirements; and

• the governance, compliance and assurance obligations placed on the NTA.

Secondly, the Department exercises ongoing oversight through a structured programme of engagement, including:

• monthly meetings between NTA senior management and senior Department officials to review operational issues and emerging risks;

• quarterly corporate governance meetings which examine compliance, performance against the PDA, financial management, and risk management;

• regular day-to-day engagement at working level on policy, project delivery, legislation, and programme implementation; and

• direct engagement with me as Minister, as required, on strategic or topical matters.

Additionally, the NTA is also required to submit annual reports, strategy statements, financial accounts, and other documentations that enable the Department to assess its performance.

In summary, while the NTA operates with operational independence, it is fully accountable to the Department for its performance, governance, and use of public funds through a robust set of statutory, governance and reporting mechanisms.