Results 15,961-15,980 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Pension Provisions (21 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 430, 432, 446 and 454 together. As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport in Ireland. The CIÉ Group has two pension schemes, namely the Regular Wages Scheme (“RWS”) and 1951 superannuation scheme (“1951 Scheme”) and issues in relation to CIÉ pension...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (21 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: 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 regulation of fares and for the collection and publication of statistics in relation to public passenger transport services. I have, therefore, forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Licences (21 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including SPSV licensing, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. Accordingly, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Licences (21 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The transfer of driver and vehicle licences for small public service vehicles, which includes taxi, hackney, and limousine licences, is prohibited under section 14(1) of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. There are no plans to adjust this provision at this time, the rationale being that a licence should indicate a person’s suitability to carry out a function and should not be transferrable...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Transport Services (21 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. From a policy perspective, there is a need for a fundamental change in the nature of transport in Ireland and the Programme for Government, 'Our Shared Future', commits to making public transport and active travel better and more accessible. The Deputy will probably be...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (21 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in the breakdown required. I would note that in non-urban areas the main investment in public transport relates to public transport services (bus and rail), funded through public service obligation funding, and also fleet (primarily bus), which is funded through capital investment programmes. My Department will look to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (21 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including the provision of Leap Card technology. Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (21 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) sector, including age limits for vehicles, is a matter for the statutory regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. Given the role of the NTA as regulator, I have referred your question to the Authority for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (21 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I think there has been good progress made in relation to the rail investment proposals made under the Programme for Government as agreed in June 2020. First and foremost, and as committed in the Programme for Government, Government has protected existing services by continuing to ensure that the level of payment required to operate the Public Service Obligation fleet is adequate to...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Continued operation of the public transport sector is important and public transport has been designated among the essential services that have carried on during the COVID-19 crisis. A number of measures have been introduced across the system, guided by public health advice, to ensure the continued operation of services safely during the pandemic, including enhanced cleaning regimes and...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Continued operation of the public transport sector is important, and public transport has been designated among the essential services that have carried on during the Covid crisis. An Taoiseach announced on 31st March last, that due to our collective success in reducing case numbers, some Level 5 restrictions would be lifted from April 12th. The Government's "Living with Covid" Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Appointments to State Boards (21 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: My Department fully supports the requirements outlined in the Annex to the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016 on Gender Balance, Diversity and Inclusion published in September 2020. For all board appointments to agencies under the remit of my Department, completed through the PAS process, the current gender composition of a Board is highlighted when making an...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I am very glad to be able to set out the Estimates for our Department, which is critical for the future social, economic and environmental development of our State. We have some €152 million in current expenditures and €579 million in capital, with a €37 million capital carryover from the previous year. In total, we are responsible for €768 million. I will take...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Deputy is correct. There has been a considerable impact on the warmer homes scheme and retrofitting because of Covid, both last year and this year. I understand that the output in 2020 was 17,600 homes. We will not know the figures for this year until a later stage. One of the benefits this year compared with previous years is that we did not have a stop-start approach. What we did...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the Deputy. The targeting of lower-income homes is primarily through the warmer homes scheme, but there is also a significant contribution by and important role for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I cannot remember the exact figures from the other Vote but I am being reliably informed that €65 million is the amount. That is critical because it helps...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I will have to go on memory and I am very much rounding the figures. However, as the Deputy said, there are 2 million houses and my understanding is that about 1.5 million are at a B or lower rating. Any new apartments or houses built from the 2008-09 period onwards, when building regulations improved, should not need to be retrofitted and should have a sufficiently high rating. Of those,...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I guess the Deputy has a similar assessment of the Department. For any Minister, it is a relay race, you take the baton and then pass it on to someone else. I was very glad to take the baton from Deputy Bruton who did good work in the Department. The KPIs need to be updated. The climate action plan to be published this summer will update the plan Deputy Bruton published in 2019 and will...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan. I was very much involved with the whole range of community energy action agencies that were delivering a lot of those community schemes. I have seen them in action over the years and they did really good work. They came with a really good ethos and that community element was really important in getting things over the line. As the Deputy indicated, in last...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: We have been involved with a consultation on the microgeneration support scheme which would allow people to sell surplus power back to the grid. I expect that we will conclude the consultation and the analysis of it and have a scheme in place by the summer. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, has done a lot of work on community schemes already. They are working with...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The announcement last week by the ESB was very significant, but not just for the people in Clare and the Shannon Estuary. It is an indication of where we are going. I said on the day that if the scale of the project were multiplied by 25, it would reflect the level of commitment in the programme for Government. It is not just in the programme for Government as this was agreed by the...