Results 7,581-7,600 of 26,032 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: What about dual carriageways? The second objective under the national planning framework is to connect cities. The Minister speaks about the cities growing. Cork, Limerick and Galway must be accounted for. Many of the areas on the route from Limerick to Cork are treacherous, particularly between Charleville and Mallow. Bypasses are needed, but equally we have to address travel time and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: If TII comes up with a proposal and is talking about a motorway or dual carriageway, will the Minister oppose that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Minister said that already. The national planning framework, which he has quoted, specifically addresses enhanced regional accessibility and specifically mentions linking Cork and Limerick. Ultimately, if we are to have proper balanced regional development, we must connect the cities. I accept that we must have compact growth within the cities.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Those aspects are not mutually exclusive.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: We cannot have a situation where cities are operating in isolation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Minister spoke about Dublin. The only situations where we can have regions that would be competitive outside of Dublin is if we can achieve the synergies between the cities located right up along the Atlantic economic corridor. Has the Minister driven the N20 from Limerick to Cork?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Does the Minister know how bad that road is?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: That road has the highest rate of fatalities. It is a lethal road and it has stopped economic development in that area.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: We all agree with that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Once again, I am coming a distance with the Minister, which is that I agreed to the bypass. I am also coming a distance with him in that we need to build up the cities, but for whatever reason the Minister has an ideological position whereby he will come out against something that might be good. He deliberately did so on the northern distributor road earlier. The LSMATS plan may show that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am a Deputy in Limerick city. I know that route intimately and grew up along it. We have a once in a lifetime chance and you are the Minister. TII is doing its work. I hope the Minister will have an open mind on what the professionals come forward with, whatever that is. I want to see a dual carriageway and motorway along that route. I want to see Charleville, Mallow and Buttevant...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: We will let the process decide. I will give strictly two minutes each to Senator Carrigy and Deputy Ó Cuív. I suggest a question and a response.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will make an observation. The Department did a report on the ratio of spending between roads and public transport. I have statistics and I am wondering if they relate just to the capital budget or to the entire budget. In 2018, the ratio was 55% on roads and 42% on public transport projects. It was the same in 2019. In 2020, it went to 53% on roads and 45% on public transport. Is that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: No. I have a point I want to make. In 2020, 53% of the budget was for roads and 45% of it was for public transport. Am I correct in saying that since 2021, the budget has been 67% on public transport and 33% on roads? Am I correct in that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: No. Are the statistics I quoted for capital only or for all?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: If the ratio in 2020 was 53% to 45%, what will the figures be in 2021 and 2022 for the breakdown between roads and public transport?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Roughly, what is it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I would like us to get that statistic because this is coming directly from-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I just deal in facts. Our problem at present is that there is a funding issue with many of the roads. It is coming down. That project is not going ahead because the money was not there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Minister has a lot of projects in the pipeline. The budget is €360 million on its own, outside of the 2:1 on active travel. I am not questioning the benefit of active travel. It is very important, but it is a significant amount of money.