Results 2,461-2,480 of 23,109 for speaker:Paddy Burke

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: There can be no doubt the M50 tolling regime has been a disaster from start to finish. This was a poor deal for taxpayers from the outset. It is a reflection of the wider deficiencies in the body politic at the time, which ensured the needs of the public remained bottom of the list of priorities. We should not forget this poor deal was delivered by a Fianna Fáil Government.

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: Twenty years later, with this latest €600 million sweetheart deal for NTR, the same mistakes are being played out again. Once more, taxpayers must bear the brunt for Fianna Fáil ineptitude and incompetence. I could not put it better than a member of the Fianna Fáil Party, Deputy Fleming, who commented at a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport in 2006 as follow, "Shame...

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: Not only were taxpayers and motorists subjected to a poor deal under the 1987 Fianna Fáil-signed arrangement but that party's abysmal track record of negotiating on behalf of taxpayers was evident on two other occasions. In 2001, the State entered into a further contract with NTR for the development of a second West Link bridge. The outcome of this deal is that the State has paid €1.1...

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: NTR has been the primary beneficiary of investment in the M50. As each new section was opened, it funnelled ever more vehicles through its toll bridges. Despite spending only €38 million on those toll bridges, the company has reaped a rich reward of more than €230 million. When the Comptroller and Auditor General examined this deal in 2004, he concluded, "The cost to users by way of...

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: That is unacceptable. Currently, more than 20% of all penalty points detected are not imposed, largely because they involve cars not registered in the State. Will that situation apply to the new tolling regime? That will mean that motorists who do pay will end up paying for those who do not. We are about to invest in a new road tolling regime and a new speed camera regime at a cost of...

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: Regarding the payment of tolls, it has been brought to my attention that pre-paid tolls cannot be used on all toll roads and that a different payment system will be needed for, say, the M50, the N4——

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: Currently, the tag does not cover all the——

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: If that is the case I will welcome it.

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: The Bill also makes changes to the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 and appears to give powers to the regulator to make regulations covering various aspects of the taxi industry, from vehicle standards to driver behaviour. The original legislation in 2003 gave this power to the Minister for Transport. I am concerned that this power is being taken away, removing the Minister from the equation and...

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: ——the Ennis bypass, which the Minister opened recently, the maximum speed does not apply on any of those roads. It may not apply at dual carriageway level either. What would it take for those roads to be upgraded to ensure the maximum speed can apply on them? They are two lane carriageways and are built to a very high standard yet the maximum speed of 120 k/hr does not apply on either...

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: If it is technical and if this Bill allows that the speed be raised to the maximum speed, I would welcome that. I will not oppose the Bill. I welcome its provisions and hope the Minister will clarify some of the issues I raised.

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: I did not say anything about robbing the pension fund.

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: The State should have control. The Senator should remember what happened to Telecom Éireann — we have no broadband in large areas of the country.

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: Fianna Fáil wants to get into government with the Green Party.

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: The Senator must have hit a nerve.

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: Is the Senator getting on the Minister's nerves?

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: It will come in after the general election.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme. (7 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: I have given the Senator ample time to make his point.

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2007)

Paddy Burke: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following: ""barrier-free tolling" means any mechanism or system whereby motorway or other road tolls can be collected without the need for the obstruction, slowing, stopping or other delaying of the vehicle being tolled;". Amendment No. 11 is a technical amendment and proposes a pass system, such as E-Toll or E-ZPass,...