Results 26,841-26,860 of 33,175 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Railway Stations (2 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: The issue raised is a matter for Irish Rail and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Funding (2 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: The award of grants for festivals is an operational matter for the Board and management of Fáilte Ireland and not a matter in which I, as Minister, have any role or function. It is a competitive process and there is no guarantee of funding for events which meet the minimum eligibility criteria. The Deputy may wish to note that the application process for the Regional Festivals...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (2 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I am currently appointing members to the new Taxi Advisory Committee, in accordance with Section 72(4) of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. To date, the Chairperson and 13 of the 17 ordinary members have been appointed and are listed in the table. Three appointments, which will be made under the Special Interest/ Expertise category, were advertised on 30th...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Vehicle Registration (2 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: Change of vehicle ownership notifications are recorded on the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) at my Department's office in Shannon, Co. Clare. Unless there is some inaccuracy, or other absent information on this notification, the change is recorded within one working day and the new owner receives a Vehicle Registration Certificate (log book) in his or her name shortly afterwards. ...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I am very pleased to appear before the select sub-committee to recommend this Supplementary Estimate of €100 million in additional capital funding for my Department. This will bring my overall capital envelope this year to more than €1.07 billion. This additional funding will further support our public transport system, allow for much needed maintenance of our road network and...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: The point the Deputy is making is exactly the way we intend this funding to be spent. Our target for it is to upgrade 350 km of the kinds of road to which the Deputy referred. Regarding the non-national local and regional roads across the country, we are aiming for €24 million of the €35 million to be used for the paving and surfacing projects that the Deputy mentioned.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: Secondary and local roads. We have indicated to local authorities what the overall funding is and we allocate it on a county-by-county basis. I have left it to each local authority to determine how the funding will be spent. The majority of the funding that we are referring to now is for non-national roads.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes. For the purpose of clarity, of the €35 million that we are discussing, approximately €10 million will go into national roads and €25 million will go into local and regional roads.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I am confident that it will be. The main factor that gets in the way tends to be weather, as it can prevent work from going ahead. At the end of this year or the start of next year, we will step back and consider how the funding that we allocated was used. I am confident that all of it has been used, purely on the basis of the number of counties that are asking me for more.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I am reasonably confident that it has all been used.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: Kiltoy in Letterkenny.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: It is to facilitate an IDA project in the area.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: That work would be covered by the main funding allocation that we will make available at the end of each year. This Supplementary Estimate is primarily aimed at road surfaces in the way we have just described. When we hand out our overall allocation to local authorities at the end of each calendar year, it is for them to decide how to use it. In my experience, they use it for a number of...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: The MBRS is based in UCD and headed by Professor Denis Cusack.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: It is a superb organisation. It analyses the specimens taken from people who have been involved in road incidents. The funding will allow the MBRS to procure devices to allow for testing for drugs in people's systems. The Deputy will be familiar with the handheld alcohol testing devices. The €100,000 will procure the equivalent drug testing devices, which the MBRS is in the process...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: Not really, but this relates to a Bill that I hope to bring to the Cabinet in less than two weeks time. In considering how to implement our road traffic laws, I wanted to give the go-ahead to purchase the devices as soon as possible.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I will begin with the Deputy's question on infrastructure. It is primarily delivered by the ESB and great progress has been made. We have just under 1,000 recharging points across the country and approximately 97% of all of our targets for the delivery of recharging points have been met. The challenge facing us is the number of vehicles using the points. For a variety of reasons, only...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: The Tralee to Fenit greenway in Kerry is finished. The Patrickswell to Limerick City is cycle way is complete. The Ballina section of the Monasteries of the Moy greenway is done. Kilmeadon to Bilberry is part of the Deise greenway in Waterford, I understand, and the Athlone to Mullingar greenway is complete. Those that are on track for completion this year are the Artist's Way greenway in...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I will come back to the Deputy. We will find out the status of the project and I will write to him about the matter. It is not part of the Supplementary Estimate; this is the Mullingar to Athlone section.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: They are new buses and will bring the total fleet to approximately 1,000. I hope the Deputy is aware of the number of newer buses now on our roads. One of the major improvements in the new buses is that they now have space for a buggy and a wheelchair, which I welcome. As recently as Friday, I received a complaint that when wheelchair users get onto a bus they are unable to find spaces...