Results 741-760 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Public Transport (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: It would be if it were true but it is not. We are going to double the number of routes with a frequency of ten minutes or better. This is a considerable improvement. Some 60% of customers will be carried on high-frequency routes, these being the ten-minute routes in each direction. With the extra buses, some 23% are currently being carried. It is difficult for people to imagine that...

Public Transport (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: Real-time passenger information will shortly be available via mobile telephone and on 500 on-street signs. The initial phase will be delivered by the end of this year. The integrated ticketing project, integrating smartcards for Irish Rail, Luas, Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and private bus operators, is progressing well. A rigorous testing regime has been put in place and the project is being...

Road Network (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources and are supplemented by State road grants paid by my Department. Each year, as Minister for Transport I announce the allocation of grant...

Road Network (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: I thank Deputy McEntee for his congratulations and comments on the road safety award. I received it on behalf of everyone involved in road safety. I thank Deputy McEntee, his party and other parties in the House, who have a share in this award. It is important to say that and that was why I thought it was important to go and receive the award on behalf of the people of Ireland. Everyone...

Rail Network (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 38 and 70 together. Since 1 December 2009, the implementation of the DART underground project is a matter under the remit of the National Transport Authority, NTA. Officials from my Department and the NTA hold monthly monitoring meetings. Following a request from my Department, the NTA arranged for a presentation by the DART underground team from Irish...

Rail Network (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: No, that is not true. The subject never came up. I met the board members and the chief executive of CIE. I try to meet the boards of companies under the aegis of the Department of Transport once a year and it was such a meeting. In the middle of the day, I became aware of a statement issued by CIE and Deputy O'Dowd raised the matter in the House. Deputy O'Dowd suggested CIE had changed...

Rail Network (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: Whether I was flabbergasted is the Deputy's interpretation. I made it clear there was no policy change because the question put to me by the Deputy was that the statement CIE had made had changed the policy. I made it clear that CIE does not make policy; the Department and the Minister make policy. As I said at the time, I was not aware of the statement before it was made, which is not the...

State Airports (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: As indicated to the Deputy in my reply to PQ 17984/10 of 5 May 2010, the annual report and accounts of the Dublin Airport Authority for 2009 were published on 27 April and were lodged in the Library of the Houses of the Oireachtas the same day. I noted that falling passenger numbers caused by the recession led to the Dublin Airport Authority's gross profit reducing by 10% on the previous...

State Airports (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: I would not agree with the Deputy. The group operating profit before exceptional items was €62.7 million. When the exceptional items are included, it recorded a loss of €13 million. The two exceptional items were in respect of the DAA's cost recovery programme. It spent money on trying to ensure improvements were made to all aspects of the operation of the airport. That cost...

State Airports (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: It is €12,000 for each of the directors. The Deputy mentioned the directors were getting €187,000-----

State Airports (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: -----and from that point of view the criticism is not justified. The airport is well run. It has delivered on its projects. Terminal 2 will come in on schedule and within budget and will provide a fantastic facility for people arriving into this country.

State Airports (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: The Deputy is incorrect in claiming I shelved plans for the separation of Shannon and Cork Airports from the Dublin Airport Authority. Due to the severe economic downturn and its effects on the international aviation industry, the chairs, boards and management of the various airports requested me to postpone the planned separation of the Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airports from the one...

State Airports (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: The Deputy cannot have it both ways.

State Airports (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: The way to making their own decisions is to become an independent company. I am agnostic on this matter and have listened carefully to all sides in the debate. However, once an airport decides to go independent, it will no longer have the protection of the larger organisation. It will be on its own. If that is the final decision-----

State Airports (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: As long as people know the ground rules in this matter. I do not know too many people involved in Shannon Airport or the wider Shannon region who believe the airport could have survived the current downturn in the aviation industry.

State Airports (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: The chair, management and board of the airport made the right decision requesting a deferral of the autonomy plans during this downturn. If people change their minds, I will take their points on board.

State Airports (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: I know exactly where the Deputy is coming from. Some people would like to have no responsibility and just access to the cash. I am not saying that applies to Shannon Airport management. However, a subsidiary company cannot be able to spend moneys belonging to its parent company unless it is prepared to take responsibility. The structure is not in place in the Dublin Airport Authority for...

State Airports (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: That is why we made that decision but it may change next year. The difficulty is that one cannot have a company which is part of a larger company making its own decisions while the larger body pays for it. It is getting the balance right that is important. Next year, I would be open to the airports deciding to take the route of separation from the Dublin Airport Authority.

State Airports (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: The Deputy will appreciate I do not involve myself in the day-to-day operational matters of the authority. I am not aware it has broken any procurement laws or otherwise. If the authority wants to set up subsidiary companies, a general policy is in place that they cannot be a drain on the main company and must operate separately to it. It also cannot add to the costs of passenger travel,...

Road Network (23 Jun 2010)

Noel Dempsey: Under the agreement of March 2007 between the Irish and British Governments on a funding package to support the restored Northern Ireland Executive, the Irish Government made a commitment to provide funding of £400 million or €580 million in a roads investment package for Northern Ireland which will contribute to the upgrading to dual-carriageway status of the A5 road from Aughnacloy to...