Results 20,721-20,740 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: Amendments Nos. 20, 21 and 23 address areas of representation and appeals under section 12 where there was procedural ambiguity and thereby strengthen the legality of the process, if challenged. Taken together, amendments Nos. 20 and 21 provide for the commencement date of any suspension or revocation of a licence on foot of a decision of a licensing authority to commence after any appeal to...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: Amendment No. 22 is a textual amendment to correct a minor drafting error and does not entail any change to the substance of the section. Amendment No. 24 concerns a technical legal matter. It provides that the representation and appeals process under section 12 does not apply to a revocation of a licence by a court consequent upon conviction for an offence as provided for under section 43,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Services (19 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: NewERA has considered the business plan in great detail, the Department has considered the various components of it in great detail and the Government has signed off on it. Access to banking facilities in 2013 is important. The Deputy will be aware that the legislation dealing with borrowings by CIE was recently passed by this House, which legislation provided additional elasticity in this...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Services (19 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: My Department and the National Transport Authority are working with Iarnród Éireann to increase the efficiency and attractiveness of existing rail services. The Government continues to provide substantial Exchequer investment in the rail network despite the significant financial challenges. In the past two years almost €385 million has been invested in Iarnród...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Services (19 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: As the Deputy is aware, last year we put an extra €36 million into CIE, which will mean that in 2012, some €166 million went to Irish Rail and €126 million is budgeted for in 2013. Further financing was required in 2012 to fund the voluntary severance scheme and the sale of non-core assets such as a Spencer Dock property, which was central to that. The issue of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Taxi Regulations (19 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: I have plenty of correspondence on this issue and will take any more the Deputy wants to send me. I stand over the reason for the retrospective nature of these provisions. There are people driving taxis in this country who should not be behind the wheel of a taxi. It is simple as that and needs no further explanation. That is why the legislation must be retrospective. No one in this...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Taxi Regulations (19 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: I thank Deputy Ellis, who has raised this issue on previous occasions. The Bill is proportionate. I have suggested to the Deputy previously that he raise the issue in the context of other legislation. He asks if we have rigorously checked the legality of the Bill. Of course we have. The Attorney General went through the legislation and is satisfied with its drafting, the manner in which...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Taxi Regulations (19 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: The Taxi Regulation Bill 2012, published last December, is a major step in the process of implementing the recommendations of the taxi regulation review report published earlier last year.  In line with the recommendations of the review report, the Bill restates and strengthens the proportionality of the existing legislative provision for mandatory disqualification of persons convicted...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Services (19 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 141 together. Along with Minister Varadkar, I meet regularly with the Chairpersons of CIÉ and its subsidiaries in relation to the current and future financial situation of the group. My Department, supported by NewEra, have also engaged extensively with CIÉ on its financial and business planning. In addition...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (19 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 153 together. I refer the Deputies to my reply to Priority Question No. 4 which I answered earlier.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Transport (19 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: Since becoming Minister for Public and Commuter Transport the developments I have initiated have been aimed at ensuring that into the future we have a more complete and cost effective transport service offering in rural areas that better meets the transport needs of all users. To this end national responsibility for local and rural transport services integration,...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Funding (19 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: I am advised by the National Transport Authority that funding dispersed to Seirbhís Iompair Tuaithe Teoranta (SITT) Rural Transport Programme (RTP) for 2007 to 2012 inclusive and an indicative amount for 2013, is set out in the table below.  Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta Teoranta (MFG) went into liquidation in September 2011 and SITT stepped into the role of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (19 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: The regulation of the taxi industry is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009. The skills development programme, including the area knowledge test, for the purposes of SPSV driver licensing is administered by the NTA. The NTA also administers the SPSV vehicle licensing application process with regard to...

Promissory Notes Arrangement: Motion (Resumed) (13 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: The Deputy should quote what he said about the promissory notes.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rural Transport Scheme (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: I am well aware of the rural transport issues in Kerry. As Senator Daly will be well aware, I know the area-----

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rural Transport Scheme (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: -----including his own town, extremely well. I also visited the group a year or more ago. We are stuck in a structure where there is a value-for-money report of which we need to meet certain requirements. There is a defined amount of funding. There is a defined requirement that we must meet given the financial circumstances. However, I am a committed supporter of rural transport groups and...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rural Transport Scheme (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: The programme for Government commits to maintaining and extending the rural transport programme with other local transport services in as much as that is practicable. The Government recognises that this programme, which was launched in 2007 following a pilot project between 2002 and 2007, can play a major role in combatting rural isolation and enhancing the mobility, accessibility and...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Committee Stage (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: The amendments deal with the issues referred to by the Senator in the rental market. The market needs to change. Members will have watched the television programmes and read newspaper articles about the way in which the rental market developed willy nilly. A licence holder could rent out his or her plate and the person driving the car did not have to ensure standards were maintained. A...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Committee Stage (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: Taxi licences are held in company names and provision for the grant of further licences to companies is contained in section 9(7). All applicants for licences are required to meet the suitability requirements set out in section 10. Section 10(2)(e) contains specific measures relating to the suitability of members of companies. This technical amendment allows the NTA to make licensing...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Committee Stage (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Kelly: I cannot agree to amendment No. 9. It allows the NTA to make regulations setting different requirements and conditions relating to different categories and classes of vehicles, SPS drivers and licences as well as-----