Results 3,501-3,520 of 7,153 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I apologise to the witnesses for that interruption. What are the barriers to recruitment as Mr. Hann sees them? An issue has been identified around essential paperwork.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: That is a significant number, which is why I am asking that question. There are pinch points and recruitment and capacity challenges at the minute at a time when the services are expanding. Will we ever get ahead of it? What is Mr. Hann's sense of what next year will look like in terms of recruitment? Are there immediate issues he could ask the committee to raise in terms of trying to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Are there measures Mr. Hann could ask the committee to raise that could improve the delivery of those numbers?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I saw a media report. That is not resolved yet but it is an issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank Mr. Hann very much. What is the NTA's plan for public transport for the city for Christmas? We have seen already that Christmas parties are back on. There are issues with the availability of taxis and public transport options, whatever they might look like. Is there a plan for Christmas from the NTA?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Did Ms Graham say from Wednesday, 14 December?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Those are not new, are they?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: They are not new for Christmas, however.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Are people aware of them? Are they well used? Could they be used better?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: The shortage of taxis is really becoming a prominent issue and we are not yet really into the busiest time, which will probably be this weekend.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: We can come back to it later but it would be appropriate to examine the nature of the taxi service and industry. Measures were taken during the year, including changes in tariffs and extending the ten-year rule. It is important to keep the system under review to see how those incentives are working and responding.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Does the NTA monitor that? Does it know how many taxi drivers are out on Saturday night?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: What about the busy or high-demand times?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Is that surveys and so on?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: The final issue is the planned expansion of public bus services next year. We hear the recruitment challenges are being addressed to a significant degree. Where does it leave the NTA's plans for the expansion of BusConnects? The opening statement referred to reducing some service frequency in response to the driver shortage and the delay of introduction of phases of the BusConnects network...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: The NTA's opening statement identified a new pattern with a stronger rebound in public transport use. I presume that is linked to the lower fares, and I told the Minister previously that is useful evidence for the affordability of public transport and its use, but also increased congestion. Is that the result of an increased population and more people on the move anyway? They seem a bit...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I suppose reducing the fares is a giant experiment. The NTA is tracking all of that and it will inform future policy and expansion and where it goes. I presume the case the NTA makes to the Government relates to our climate obligations, the modal shift and the number of people in different age brackets that we want to get into public and active travel.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: However, the NTA would like to see them maintained at the current level. The commitment is only until the end of next year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: When the NTA came before the committee previously, Ms Graham spoke about potentially going with a proposal to the Government in this regard before the end of the year.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (8 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Dublin Airport’s north runway is welcome, but it is operating contrary to its planning permission. The flight paths that are being operated are not the ones that were agreed. Houses were insulated to mitigate against the noise of low-flying planes. Incredibly, many of those homes are not now on the flight path, while hundreds of others, as well as schools and businesses which were...