Results 29,301-29,320 of 33,214 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driving Test Regulations (10 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I presume that the Deputy is referring to a previous situation involving people - not only farmers - who had held a full licence before November 1989.  The situation was that, before that time, there was no separate category of licence for drawing a trailer.  Anyone who had a car licence was automatically licenced to drive with a trailer.  In November of 1989 there was a change...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: VAT Exemptions (10 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I am aware of the measure the Deputy is referring to which was announced in the UK Autumn Statement 2014. However, as the Deputy will be aware and as Minister Varadkar has advised the House previously on this subject, exemption from VAT is entirely a matter for the Revenue Commissioners and my colleague the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan. In exchanges with representatives from mountain...

Topical Issue Debate: National Car Test (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy Dooley for raising this matter. He is correct that the entire objective of the session is to raise topical issues. The original issue raised related to the national car test, NCT, but I will also respond to the questions he has asked regarding the events of today. First, I wish to refer to changes to the penalty points regime which came into effect yesterday, and the...

Topical Issue Debate: National Car Test (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I will continue to monitor the situation. The average waiting time for tests currently is 11 days nationally. I am looking at how it stacks up per centre to address the very point to which Deputy Dooley referred. On the earlier point regarding the concerns aired today on the operation of the penalty points system - the Deputy also asked me questions on the matter at a meeting of the Joint...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for her questions. On the issue of congestion, one of the major issues I have stressed in my work to date is the need to decrease congestion and increase growth. This feeds into all the decisions I am presenting for the committee's approval today in relation to where I want to put the money I have and additional money. The Deputy has raised the needs of her county with...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: Is the Deputy referring to the community improvement schemes?

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for his questions and I will come to each in turn. His first question pertained to the allocation of capital funding for regional and local roads. I entirely take his point that one must be aware of the more local roads or, shall I say, the non-national roads or tertiary roads in respect of where money is going and how it is spent. This is something of which I have been...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: What that comes from is that the President of the European Commission, Mr. Juncker, has announced an initiative to try and make more funding available to the EU for important infrastructure projects, out of which an amount of funding would be made available from the European institutions that would then be leveraged up. We have sent a list of options to the European Commission, but we have...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I will begin with the Deputy's point about new buses. I agree with him. As he well knows, buses carry more people that any other form of public transport in Ireland and what we are doing here is modernising the fleet of our two main public bus companies. I expect and believe this will lead to an improvement on the quality of service people see in the future. As regards the public...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I will do my best to ensure all clubs have the opportunity to access equipment. I am aware there may be a need for specialist equipment in some sports and that is something we must look into. I will engage with the sailing organisation about this and I will copy the Deputy into the communication.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I understand the high-performance needs of people in that sport because of the nature of it and the expensive equipment. They have a particular need and as we get into the detail of the money will be spent, I will bear in mind the Deputy's point. I will ensure he is made aware of anything that happens.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: With regard to the Deputy's question on the roads programme, we must continue to rebuild investment in our local, national roads and regional roads. The programme we announced continues investment in a wide variety of roles across the country but I acknowledge that in the coming years the investment must be maintained and, in some areas, increased. In the multi-annual capital plan that the...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I will respond to the points made by Deputy Ellis. Of the €160 million, €40 million is stimulus funding and the balance of the funding has been made available from savings in other Departments or in relation to how the economy has performed. Specifically, the Deputy asked about where the money for roads will go. Some €20 million of the roads money will be for local and...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: There was an interesting article in today’s Financial Timesby Larry Summers, a former United States Secretary of the Treasury, in which he spoke of the need for developed economies all over the world to invest in public transport and infrastructure projects. I did not have an opportunity to include it in my text but he made the point similar to Deputy Dooley’s, namely, that if...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: May I make my opening statement?

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I thought it would be mutually helpful for everybody if I did that.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Supplementary) (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I am delighted to appear before the select sub-committee to recommend this Supplementary Estimate of €162 million in additional capital funding for my Department. This will bring my overall capital envelope and investment in land transport for this year to over €1.14 billion, which is something I hope will be sustained in the future. This additional funding will address three...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Cycling Facilities Funding (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department held a funding call in respect of the Local Authority National Cycle Network Funding Programme 2014 to 2016 in September 2013.  The first phase of the assessment process involved the use of a scoring matrix to objectively assess and shortlist projects relative to a set criteria outlined in the funding call.  10 proposals were shortlisted in December 2013. In...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 469 and 470 together.   In mid-October last, my Department issued a Circular to all local authorities requesting them to undertake a review of speed limits in housing estates so that they and the Elected Members could decide if the existing speed limits in such estates are appropriate to ensure a safe environment, particularly for children. This...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Roads Authority Projects (9 Dec 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I was glad to be able to inform the public that the National Roads Authority will be progressing a programme of minor road improvement works across the country next year - the project list attached to the press statement did refer inadvertently to An Daingean rather than Dingle/Daingean Uí Chúis and the Deputy's point on this is noted.