Results 621-640 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Aviation Industry (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy knows, the programme for Government includes a commitment to finalise and publish a policy framework for unmanned aircraft systems, otherwise known as drones. This will guide high-level strategic planning and development of the drone sector in Ireland through supporting growth, which we want, and innovation, which we also want, while ensuring safe and secure operations and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Aviation Industry (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I have not commenced my review. I appreciate the points the Deputy has made and take them into account. I listened with interest to a vox pop in Dublin West. I think it was on FM104 last week when I was in the car. There had been complaints made by some public representatives. Then there were interviews with people on the street in Blanchardstown and many of them had different views on...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Air Navigation Orders (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: A lot has been made of the increased number of exemptions. People try to link that somewhat to the start of the conflict in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza and Israel. From October 2023, there has been an increase in exemptions granted to Irish-registered aircraft operating outside of Ireland. A substantial number of Irish aircraft operate in other territories. This increase is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Air Navigation Orders (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: When serious allegations and complaints like this are made, I, as Minister, take them seriously. It behoves us to afford the time to carry out a proper investigation and interrogate the data given to us. We are in regular contract with all air operators. With Irish airspace being one of the main entry points across the Atlantic, I instructed Department officials to further remind all air...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Bus Services (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: We will all be travelling on buses together soon. I use the bus a lot but not in Wicklow. I am aware, as the Deputy obviously is, that Go-Ahead Ireland has experienced difficulties in maintaining service levels, particularly in the first quarter of this year, primarily due to a shortage of mechanics. In response, the company took a number of remedial actions, including bringing in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Bus Services (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: There is still work to be done. We are adding new routes. As everyone knows, in all sectors, but particularly around drivers and mechanics, there have been shortages of workers because it is a very competitive environment. We have commenced further recruitment across all our transport operators. We started the review in spring. Two of the main reasons for buses not showing up are,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Bus Services (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The transparency around this is there. The operators have to report on service level agreements. When specific issues arise, a lot of the time I see that people will tweet the NTA on X, send emails or whatever. I get text messages regularly, including from my daughter if a bus does not show up when she is travelling to DCU, so I know from my family that this happens from time to time....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Air Navigation Orders (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware of the regulations and the legislation. The Chicago convention of 1944 is the main international treaty that governs the operation of international civil aviation. Article 35 of that convention provides that no civil aircraft may carry munitions of war in the sovereign territory of a state without that state's permission. That provision is implemented in Irish law in the Air...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I agree on that point. An Garda Síochána is doing a good job already. The Deputy will be aware of Operation Saul. That is under way. To take the Dublin metropolitan region, the area in which we have the best data in this regard, as an example, there are gardaí delivering both overt and covert policing on bus, Luas, DART and other train services. In 2024, the operation...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: We have a public transport safety working group on which unions, workers and operators are represented. I have met these representatives. We will be discussing this in more detail. I assure the Deputy that, when the proposals in this regard become clear, I will be seeking their input. I do not have an exact timeframe for the Deputy. Suffice it to say that this is an important...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Taoiseach is not here.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Thanks.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Action Plan (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question. I welcome the publication of the Climate Change Advisory Council's annual sectoral review of the transport sector. I recently met with the council and, separately, with its chair, Marie Donnelly. We had a very constructive discussion. My Department and I will be reviewing this report and its recommendations. I certainly will take them into account as...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Action Plan (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I said last week that I am reviewing the EV grants. We have made significant progress. The Deputy referred to the reduction in growth in that sector last year but he did not mention that quarter 1 of this year saw a significant rebound in EV sales and registrations. Today, I brought to Government a policy on renewable fuels for transport, which sets out the ambition in this regard. It...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Action Plan (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: We are trying to cover a lot in a short time. We will have a chance to go through a lot of these points in more detail at the transport committee, which is meeting tomorrow, and at the environment committee. Regarding EV charging, under the motorway infrastructure scheme, 131 additional high-powered charging points across 17 different locations on the motorway network will be delivered...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question on what is a real and important issue for public transport users. We debated it in some detail yesterday. Particularly among those who do not use public transport often, they can have a certain perception of the level of safety on it. To the Deputy's specific question, antisocial behaviour is a broad societal issue to which public transport is not...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Thank you, Deputy Byrne, for your question. At the outset, it is important to distinguish between publicly subvented services, which operate under contract with the National Transport Authority, and commercial services , which are operated under licence from the NTA and do not receive State subvention. The latter are primarily run by private operators; however, Bus Éireann also operates...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy may be aware, the Preliminary Business Case for the DART+ Programme was approved by the Government at Decision Gate 1 of the Public Spending Code in December 2021. This decision permitted the purchase of new DART trains from Alstom, comprising 65 battery-electric and 30 electric carriages. Battery-electric trains from this first fleet order started arriving into Ireland in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, my role involves setting public transport policy and overseeing overall funding. However, I am not involved in day-to-day operations. The statutory responsibility for delivering and managing public transport services, including the publication and maintenance of network maps, rests with the National Transport Authority (NTA). I have been informed by the NTA that...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including, in consultation with Iarnród Éireann, the Oranmore Station Redevelopment and Track Works. The recent planning approval granted...