Here’s Who’s on the Board of the National Transport Authority

Last week, we wrote about the dearth of information available on six recent appointments to the 12-member board of the National Transport Authority.

The NTA is a crucial source of funding for Dublin City Council projects. Between 2010 and 2015, it provided €97 million to fund cycling and walking schemes, road resurfacing and bus infrastructure in Dublin city. In the Dublin City Centre Transport Study, a collaboration between Dublin City Council and the NTA, the NTA promises another €150 million to DCC for similar projects.

So we thought it was important to know who was on the board, making decisions.

The appointments were quietly registered on pages 12 to 13 of a state board report on the Department of Transport website. And despite guidelines that say departments must explain who new board members are and why they’re qualified, it was just a list of names.

We emailed the Department of Transport’s press office on 9 October asking for more information, but we hadn’t heard back by the time we posted the story on 13 October.

However, on 15 October, the press office sent us an email with a little more information about the new board members. Here’s what they told us:

1. Fiona Ross: CEO, MyndServ (2014 – date) CEO/ Director, National Library of Ireland (2010 – 2014).

2. Frank Glenn: Managing Director, Aramark Food Services (March 2014 – date), Retail Director, Topaz Energy Group (January 2006 – February 2014).

[We think this fellow’s name is actually Frank Gleeson, because we’ve contacted him, but the press office called him Frank Glenn.]

3. Ann Fitzgerald: Deputy Chair of the Irish Takeover Panel and Chair Beaumont Hospital Board, CEO, National Consumer Agency (2007 – 2012).

4. Sinead Walsh: Producer and educator who has worked in the area of social access awareness in the Dublin area. Sinead worked directly with Dublin Bus and Irish Rail on the development of disability-awareness programmes for staff and drivers across the road, rail and infrastructure networks with her media company Outcam Ltd. A Trinity College Dublin graduate with a master’s in digital media management. Sinead also teaches in the area of special education. She joins the NTA with the commitment to achieving potential access and mobility for all.

5. Frank O’Connor: Co-founder and CEO, Airtel ATN (1998 – date), Engineering Services Manager and other roles, Retix Ireland/Vertel (1990 – 1998).

6. Pat Mangan: Council of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Ireland, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Transport (July 1995 – June 2010).