In the first a new series Barry McCall looks at the backgrounds of some of the often faceless people who are responsible for shaping Irish roads policy. They range from Department of Transport officials to lobbyists. This week we look at two of the most powerful people in the Department, secretary general Julie O'Neill and assistant secretary John Murphy
• JULIE O'NEILL was appointed secretary general at the newly established Department of Transport in June 2002 having been secretary general at the Department of Marine and Natural Resources from October 2001.
A native of Wexford town, she was educated in Loreto College, Wexford and joined the Civil Service in 1972.
Always a high achiever, in her role as Head of Office of the Tánaiste, from 1993-1997, she was responsible for developing policy and legislative proposals for the Freedom of Information Act, 1997 and the Ethics in Public Office Act, 1995.
She was also instrumental in establishing the National Economic and Social Forum. She chaired the Task Force on Long-term Unemployment and the Bid Steering Group for the World Summer Special Olympics Games, 2003.
She is seen as a pragmatist and non-doctrinaire within the department. In favour of increased competition in public transport, but in a regulated rather than a deregulated market.
Agnostic on the tolling issue - she appears not to hold strong views on either "hard" or "soft" tolling but does acknowledge that funding must be raised from some source. In favour of the continuing roll out and development of the national roads network outside of Dublin, she sees persuading people in Dublin and other cities to use public transport as an alternative to cars as a major part of the solution.
In these and other matters she appears at one with her political boss Seamus Brennan.
• JOHN MURPHY is assistant secretary with responsibility for road transport. He is regarded as something of an intellectual heavyweight and has the academic background to prove it; educated in Oatlands College, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin. He took first place in his BA Hons in History and Politics at UCD, holds an M Sc (Econ) in Public Policy Studies from Trinity and took another first place in the Certificate in Public Administration from the Institute of Public Administration. He has also served as Associate Lecturer in the National College of Industrial Relations, in UCG, and in the Institute of Public Administration.
A civil servant since 1976 he was appointed assistant secretary in charge of the Roads Division of the Department of the Environment and Local Government in July 2001 and transferred to the Department of Transport in June 2002.
He is currently responsible for just about every aspect of road transport including overseeing policy development and legislation in respect of the provision and management of national roads, road safety policy and traffic law, taxi regulation, and insurance.
He is said to bring his keen intellect to bear in relation to roads policy and to take the long term view in terms of policy and other initiatives.