Results 29,741-29,760 of 33,214 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council Meeting Briefing: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: That goes back to the point I made regarding the over fund I have secured. With the funding that has been secured the local authorities, the National Roads Authority and I have to see how that can best be used. I will convey the Deputy's concern regarding the road to them. Ultimately, it is the National Roads Authority and the local authorities who will make decisions on how this funding...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council Meeting Briefing: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I appreciate that and I also appreciate the nature of the road. Deputies and Senators from many parts of the country are raising their concerns regarding road safety on particular routes. With the funding that we have secured, which was the first part of my job in this process, I will raise these issues with the NRA and local authorities. In regard to the point raised by Senator Eamonn...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council Meeting Briefing: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: Thank you, I will go through them quickly, beginning with Deputy Maloney. I agree completely with what he said about Dublin Bus in terms of the route review it has put in place and the way it has delivered that. Dublin Bus has informed me that the review is believed to be the largest of its kind in Europe. I look at the roll out of real-time passenger information, the availability of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council Meeting Briefing: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: After such an introduction I will have to answer the three of them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council Meeting Briefing: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I can confirm I will not cut the PSO further next year. In regard to drug testing, I look forward to engaging with the Deputy on the matter because how we measure this issue in terms of looking at samples and the technology involved is very sophisticated and complicated. How we move this forward will merit very careful scrutiny. I can discuss that further with the Deputy. In regard to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council Meeting Briefing: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: The timing for that is to have the infrastructure complete by 2016, which will be done. When that is in place, much work needs to be done in terms of carriages, power and making it work. The deadline has always been to have it up and running across 2017. We are on time and on budget in regard to it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council Meeting Briefing: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I have to be very responsible in terms of what say in response to this question, as the Deputy has been. Behind each of these statistics, as the Deputy is aware, is a grieving family. However, that view has been put to me and other people have raised the issue with me. Mental health and the pressures families and people face play a role in the concentration and distraction levels among...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council Meeting Briefing: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I agree entirely with the Deputy about Luas safety. I, along with the Rail Procurement Agency, launched a campaign last week to make pedestrians more aware of the presence of the Luas when walking and going about their business in the city. The centrepiece of the advertising campaign is videos, provided by the RPA, of people walking in or near a Luas when moving. The agency has informed me...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council Meeting Briefing: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I did, yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council Meeting Briefing: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy Dooley for his questions. I will begin with his last point on road safety. I welcome his approach to the matter, as it is something that has always been the subject of a high level of bipartisanship from Oireachtas Members. I acknowledge the recognition given to this issue by the former Fianna Fáil Minister, Mr. Noel Dempsey, and the role that he played in introducing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council Meeting Briefing: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I will respond to the Chairman's two specific points, one of which was whether I had met representatives of Galway Port. I am planning to meet them in the first half of November and to visit the port and to discuss its project. As the Chairman will be aware, the project is currently the subject of the planning process. Galway Port has submitted its plan for the development of the port. As...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council Meeting Briefing: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: This is my first appearance before this committee. I look forward to working closely with the committee during my time in office. I welcome the opportunity to appear before the committee to brief it on issues that arose at the recent EU Transport Council, to update it on my priorities as Minister and give it a perspective on yesterday's budget announcement in respect of the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Haulage Industry Regulation (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I would firstly like to draw your attention to the position as outlined in a recent report from the European Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the state of the EU road transport market.  Among other things, this report indicated that while some costs for hauliers may be higher in Ireland than in the United Kingdom, it is also the case that certain other costs are...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Staff Remuneration (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: No staff in my Department have received performance related payments for the years in question.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Services Provision (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: The current Public Service Obligation (PSO) air services contracts for the Kerry/Dublin and the Donegal/Dublin routes expires on January 31st next. My Department launched a call for tenders for public service obligation air services for both of these routes earlier this year and that process is still ongoing. As I am sure the Deputy will appreciate, it would therefore not be appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme (15 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 167 together. Resolution of the funding difficulties of the IASS is primarily a matter for the Trustee, the companies participating in the scheme, the scheme’s members and the Pensions Authority. The process currently underway involves all of these stakeholders, including the deferred members. I can assure you that I do understand...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety (14 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: Section 70(2) of the Roads Act 1993 provides that landowners and occupiers of land must take all reasonable steps to ensure that a tree, hedge and other vegetation growing on their land is not, or could not become, a danger to people using a public road and that it does not obstruct or interfere with the safe use of a public road or the maintenance of a public road. Section 70(2) further...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Appointments to State Boards (14 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: In accordance with Section 17of the Irish Aviation Authority Act, 1993, I recently appointed Mr. Pascal Fitzgerald to the Board of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) for a four year period.  Mr. Fitzgerald has been active in promoting Shannon Airport and tourism in the Shannon and Mid-West area over the last decade. I am satisfied that this background, combined with his general...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Airport Security (14 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: Under the Airports Acts, authorised officers are members of the Garda Síochána and persons appointed by the airport authority - the airport police. The powers of authorised officers relate generally to the interest of the proper operation, security or safety of the airport, including the security or safety of persons, aircraft or other property at the airport.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (14 Oct 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I note the Deputy's question refers to the condition of a road at Barraduff, Co. Kerry but the attached Representation refers to the road on both sides of the village.  It is unclear therefore, whether this PQ refers to the N72 which runs through the centre of the village, or to the R570 which is at both sides.    As Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have...