Results 11,661-11,680 of 13,270 for speaker:Pat Gallagher

Sea Pollution (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003 [Seanad]: Report Stage (11 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I move amendment No. 20: In page 28, after line 36, to insert the following: "PART 4 AMENDMENT OF HARBOURS 38.—The Harbours Act 1996 is amended by inserting the following after section 95: 95A.—No action or other proceedings shall lie or be maintainable against— (a) a harbour authority within the meaning of section 2 of the Harbours Act 1946, (b) a company within the meaning of section...

Sea Pollution (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003 [Seanad]: Report Stage (11 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I thank the Deputies who participated in the debate both on Committee and Report Stages. I am satisfied the amendments to which the House has agreed today have improved and strengthened the Bill. I look forward to discussing them in the Seanad at the earliest possible date. The Bill has been around for a considerable time, that is, since 2003, and I hope it will be enacted within a very...

Sea Pollution (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003 [Seanad]: Order for Report Stage. (11 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I move: "That Report Stage be taken now."

Sea Pollution (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003 [Seanad]: Report Stage (11 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, line 31, after "1999" to insert ", TO AMEND THE HARBOURS ACT 1996". Amendments Nos. 1, 3 and 20 were referred to in the instruction to committee motion. I want to refer to the motion before proceeding with these amendments. The House has agreed to consider the amendments together. The amendments aim to provide that port companies and harbour authorities...

Sea Pollution (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003 [Seanad]: Report Stage (11 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: These amendments do not represent a major departure. When fire authorities and local authorities issue licences, the licensees have this responsibility. This legislation allows for port authorities to issue licences. If they are issuing licences to third parties, why should they have this responsibility for insurance purposes? It is basically the same set of circumstances. The Department...

International Agreements: Motion (11 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I thank the Deputies who contributed to the debate and who posed a number of questions that I will endeavour to answer. I wish first to apologise, if it is necessary to do so, to Opposition spokespersons and Members for not having more time available to debate the motion. As soon as it was possible to provide a briefing note, we did so. It is merely a case that circumstances have given...

International Agreements: Motion (11 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I am trying to do so. The Deputy asked why no briefing was provided and I answered that. She also inquired about the 30 September deadline and I explained why it was extended by 90 days after the European Court of Justice delivered its judgment. She further asked about safeguards, and I referred to that.

International Agreements: Motion (11 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The question of monitoring will be a matter for discussion between the European Union and the United States.

International Agreements: Motion (11 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I am answering the Deputy's questions, of which I took note. I also answered the question relating to the details that will be requested. I was asked if member states could suspend the flow of information. If it is inappropriate, they may do so.

International Agreements: Motion (11 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Another question was posed regarding the provision of adequate time for both sides in respect of the agreement and the necessity to override the Constitution. The Office of the Attorney General was consulted on the approach we have taken and it confirmed that this is the appropriate procedure to permit Ireland to participate in the agreement. I assure the House that between now and the...

International Agreements: Motion (11 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion, provided by Article 1.11 of the Treaty of Amsterdam, to notify the President of the Council that it wishes to take part in the adoption of the following proposed measure: Agreement between the European Union and the United States of America on the processing and transfer of passenger name record data...

Written Answers — Medals of Honour: Medals of Honour (5 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The Emergency Service Award was set up by the Irish Government in 1947 to recognise the services performed by the Mercantile Marine during the Emergency (1939-1946). The criteria for entitlement to the Irish Marine Service Medal, were set out in 1950 (by the Department of Industry and Commerce), as follows: 1. Service on Irish-Registered foreign-going ships; 2. Service on Irish-Registered...

State Airports. (4 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I thank Deputy Pat Breen for raising this matter on the Adjournment and thereby giving me the opportunity to outline the current situation. Transitional arrangements for Shannon were agreed with the US authorities in November last year in the context of the impending implementation of the EU and US open skies agreement. This provided that the 1:1 Shannon stop requirement would change to 1:3...

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (3 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Performance audits of the State port companies are not required by statute. Section 29 of the Harbours Act 1996 provides that such audits may take place, but there is no obligation on the Minister to do so. A performance audit was competed in spring 2001. Submission of this audit report to Government was delayed due to legal actions. However, the report was approved by Government and laid...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (3 Oct 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The Government's Ports Policy Statement, which I launched early last year, sets out current policy in relation to the ports sector, including the funding of port infrastructure developments. The Policy Statement states that the state owned ports, as commercial entities, should be capable of funding their operations and infrastructure requirements without relying on Exchequer support. Such...

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (28 Sep 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The Government's Ports Policy Statement, which I launched early last year, aims to better equip the port sector and its stakeholders to meet national and regional capacity and service needs. One of the key challenges that lie ahead is the provision of adequate in-time port capacity, particularly for unitised trade (LoLo and RoRo). The Policy Statement sets out a framework to ensure that...

Written Answers — Rural Transport Services: Rural Transport Services (28 Sep 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The Rural Transport Initiative (RTI) is a pilot scheme, under which funding is made available to thirty-four community-based organisations across the country, including one project which is operational in south east Galway, to address the transport needs of their rural areas through the provision of local transport services. Pobal administers the initiative on behalf of the Department of...

Port Development. (28 Sep 2006)

Pat Gallagher: We would not have any problem with port capacity in the future — there may be a shortfall in meeting the requirement of 12.2 million tonnes by 2014 — if it were not for the success of the economy. I am making a political point when I say that.

Port Development. (28 Sep 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The most objective observers are suggesting we will continue to enjoy growth of between 5% and 6% in each of the next few years. There will be a long lead-in time because it is not possible to provide additional capacity in the short term. For that reason, I launched the ports policy statement in January 2005, when I was Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and...

Port Development. (28 Sep 2006)

Pat Gallagher: While the port authorities are responsible for making decisions of this nature, they will have to come to us for approval. I will discuss this matter with the Minister, Deputy Cullen. After they have made their decisions and issued their recommendations, we will certainly co-operate with them to ensure the additional capacity can be provided.