Results 2,141-2,160 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Air Navigation and Transport (Indemnities) Bill 2005 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: I did not realise all these amendments were ruled out of order. I was ready to deal with them. If I am permitted to raise the point of the amendment to section 7, the Deputy is correct. One may want to reduce or increase. It is not urgent now but it may well be in a year. This matter will have to be examined then. The Deputy was correct and we will probably take account of this later. The...

Air Navigation and Transport (Indemnities) Bill 2005 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: I do not want to open up a debate on the matter. I was simply acknowledging the Deputy's point, which is not a bad one.

Air Navigation and Transport (Indemnities) Bill 2005 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: The Deputy's amendment No. 5 would mean there could be uncertainty about when an indemnity would terminate. If a condition of terminating an indemnity were that it must be transmitted in a manner likely to come to the attention of the intended recipient there could be a legal challenge on the meaning of the section. The current text of section 14 is absolutely clear that the latest a...

Air Navigation and Transport (Indemnities) Bill 2005 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: This is the same territory as the last amendment. The impact of this amendment would be to eliminate the one-hour notice of termination or suspension. I will not read out the response I gave to the Deputy's last amendment. As part of the conditions we will agree with the undertakings on the method by which notice of termination will be made so that termination can take place immediately. We...

Air Navigation and Transport (Indemnities) Bill 2005 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: The purpose of an order under section 16(6) is to set down a date before which all claims on foot of any indemnity must be received so that the State can be certain that all claims have been received and that compensation can be apportioned appropriately. The purpose of this Bill is to allow civil aviation to continue to function in the face of a withdrawal of certain insurance by the...

Air Navigation and Transport (Indemnities) Bill 2005 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: Yes. To some degree, we do not know what might happen in an incident and the scale of it. We are trying to be as cautious as possible from the taxpayers point of view.

Air Navigation and Transport (Indemnities) Bill 2005 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: The Deputy is correct in her assertion but there is a specific reason this is not the case here. While it is a common feature of Irish legislation that Acts may be grouped together as a series, it is not a requirement nor does it affect the validity of any part of the Act or Acts in question if they are not grouped together. In this case, the Parliamentary Counsel has advised that it is not...

Air Navigation and Transport (Indemnities) Bill 2005 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: I do not have an issue with that. I am used to dealing with Bills, as we all are, but the parliamentary counsel's advice was specific on this one. The strong advice was to keep it separate and do it this way.

Air Navigation and Transport (Indemnities) Bill 2005 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: There has been strong resistance from all governments to this issue. The Deputy is correct in the sense that it was flagged for some months, but that is why we were not giving an indication, overtly in any fora, that EU governments might consider this. However, it became clear this month that we had no choice. The effect of the amendment would be to insert a sunset clause in the Bill....

Written Answers — Private Transport Licences: Private Transport Licences (28 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 474 together. The following table shows a breakdown of the passenger licences that were issued in 2004 and to date in 2005. The figures are split between the greater Dublin area and outside the greater Dublin area. Issued in 2004 Issued to date in 2005 Greater Dublin Area* 18 12 Outside the Greater Dublin Area 120 65 *While only part of...

Written Answers — Air Services: Air Services (28 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: The Warburg Dillon Read report of December 1999 which was commissioned by my Department in April of that year and which assessed the strategic options at that time for the future of the former Aer Rianta considered, as one of its terms of reference, the question of developing Baldonnel aerodrome for commercial aviation. Copies of that report were provided to the Oireachtas Library in February...

Written Answers — Traffic Management: Traffic Management (28 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: Neither I nor the Minister of State at the Department of Transport has requested the NRA to carry out traffic modelling in respect of the impact of port tunnel traffic on the M50 and M1. I am aware that arrangements are being put in place to ensure the smooth integration of traffic from the port tunnel into the Dublin road network, particularly at the M1-M50 interchange and in the port area....

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (28 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: The Department has not spent any money on the services of models for use in promotional activities since it was established in 2002. As regards agencies under the aegis of the Department of Transport, their public relations are part of their day-to-day operations and are a matter for each individual agency.

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (28 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: Prior to the commencement of Luas services last year, inspectors of my Department satisfied themselves, in accordance with the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001, that the infrastructure, trams and safety systems were adequate. My inspectors continue to monitor the safety of Luas operations and take appropriate action as the need arises. When enacted, the Railway Safety Bill 2001...

Written Answers — Road Accident Investigations: Road Accident Investigations (28 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: I have not received any report into the three investigations being undertaken by the Garda, Bus Éireann and the Health and Safety Authority into the incident in question. The publication of such reports is a matter for the bodies concerned in the first instance. I await to hear from them in that regard when they are completed.

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (28 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: The National Safety Council is the agency mandated with responsibility for road safety education and advertising. The council has in the past produced short advertisements encompassing information about roundabouts, motorways and overtaking manoeuvres. The campaign was designed to highlight safe driving practice in these key areas. I understand that the National Safety Council has proposals...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (28 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: The enforcement of speed limits and the administration of the fixed charge system is a matter for the Garda Síochána. The material supplied by the Deputy, on which I have not sought legal advice, refers to the fines and penalty points systems that operate in the United Kingdom.

Written Answers — Rail Services: Rail Services (28 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: The strategic rail review provides the Government with a general framework for the future development of passenger and rail freight services in Ireland. Over 150 submissions were received as part of the public consultation process undertaken in the review. However, no proposals were received regarding the possibility of a new rail link from Dublin to Derry. I have no plans at present to...

Written Answers — Airport Development Projects: Airport Development Projects (28 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: The existing network of State airports and regional airports is adequate to cater for the air transport needs of all parts of the country for the foreseeable future. There are currently no plans to Exchequer finance the development of any new regional airports in the Border, Midlands and Western Regional Assembly region.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (28 Jun 2005)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 467 and 475 together. As I indicated in the House on previous occasions, the pension scheme for general employees in Aer Lingus, the Irish airlines general employees superannuation scheme, is a multi-employer scheme which also includes the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, and SR Technics, formerly FLS, a private sector company. I met representatives of the...