Results 241-260 of 349 for speaker:Tom Morrissey

Seanad: Rail Services. (20 Oct 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I tabled this matter because last week on the Order of Business I stated that as a member of a Government party, I was no longer prepared to stand over what is happening on rail services to and from Dublin. I will relate a short story to indicate my annoyance. This morning I had to decide whether to catch an overcrowded train provided by the State three minutes from my doorstep in Castleknock...

Seanad: Social and Affordable Housing. (2 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I thank the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Noel Ahern, for coming to this House to address this matter on the Adjournment. With regard to provisions for social and affordable housing, it is time to consider the progress made on the delivery and implementation of housing units under Part V. The original Part V provisions introduced...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I did not have an opportunity to participate in yesterday's Order of Business and raise the issue of transport. I would like to add my support to the debate which will take place in the next few weeks. The Government has set out its aspirations in regard to what it——

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: ——requires of a modern economy over the next ten years. It is important the various operators are brought in to discuss how they will sequence the developments with which they have been charged. The sequencing and timing will be important. If the various operators are not brought into the discussions, we may well have replication of transport modes in the same territory. For example, the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: As regards the Atlantic corridor, it is most important to put a timeframe on the completion of the Athenry to Ennis section to ensure the future viability of Shannon.

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: Yes.

Seanad: Railway Safety Bill 2001: Second Stage. (3 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and, more important, the legislation. We should thank the interim commission which has been dealing with the issue for a number of years. I would like to raise a few aspects in this regard, which I am pleased the Minister of State raised in his speech. This relates to the type of model we hope to mirror. My concern was that much of the legislation...

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: Under Sustaining Progress and affordable housing, the Government has a laudable objective of providing 10,000 new houses.

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: My attention was drawn to an advertisement in the daily newspapers last week calling for a land development opportunity in Dublin. This was advertised by the group recently established by the Government to provide some of these houses under Sustaining Progress. It asked for lands that were zoned but also not zoned, which drew my attention. It asked for owners of unzoned lands to come forward...

Seanad: Order of Business. (10 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: This morning the people of Galway woke up to another unofficial strike by workers in Bus Éireann. While this Government is investing unprecedented amounts of money in a ten-year transport plan, much of it in public transport, we should discuss bus deregulation. My party has always said that reform must come with investment. Bus capacity problems can be solved by subcontracting to the private...

Seanad: Dublin Port Tunnel. (10 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Callely, for addressing this matter. I have raised this issue a number of times over the past two years and do so again due to the ongoing public debate concerning an impending height restriction on large vehicles. I wish to put on record the contents of Mr. Pat Kenny's radio interview with the senior Dublin City Council...

Seanad: Dublin Port Tunnel. (10 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: Much misinformation has been put into the public arena. For example, comments to the effect that there are 9,000 trucks travelling in both directions on the quays were made in that interview. We are speaking about how many trucks will be accommodated in the tunnel and taken off our streets but the most senior people involved do not know how many trucks there are, giving a figure of 18,000,...

Seanad: Dublin Port Tunnel. (10 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: What about consultation with EU partners, not consultation within the country?

Seanad: School Staffing. (15 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Dea, for coming to the Seanad this evening to respond on the Adjournment to my comments about the language needs of foreign primary school pupils, an issue I last raised approximately 12 months ago. I am raising the problems in this regard again this evening because they are continuing to increase. Additional resources need to be invested to assist schools which...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Dec 2005)

Tom Morrissey: Yesterday, we learned through material accessed under freedom of information legislation about discussions taking place between the Department of Transport and National Toll Roads about trying to end the long suffering motorists have to endure every day on the M50.

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Dec 2005)

Tom Morrissey: This has been discussed here previously but I am concerned that, regardless of what the Minister is trying to do — I wish him the best of luck — to achieve barrier-free tolling, we are still going to have to wait three to five years to get it. The outer ring road, the much talked about alternative to the M50, will not happen for many years either. I learned last week that the NRA is only...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Dec 2005)

Tom Morrissey: This is operational on many roads like the M50 where there are no alternatives. Sadly, there is no alternative to the M50 at the moment and there will not be for many years to come.

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Dec 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I wish my party was in charge of the Department of Transport.

Seanad: Transport Policy: Statements. (1 Dec 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I welcome the Minister of State to the House for this timely debate on Transport 21. It is timely because the €34 billion or so that will be spent over the next ten years must be debated. The timeframe must also be debated. I say this because the Dublin Transportation Office has stated that traffic levels in 2003 reached the levels projected for 2016, demonstrating how far behind we are and...

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Feb 2006)

Tom Morrissey: I echo the sentiments of Senator Cox and would welcome a debate on the future of the Great Southern Hotels. Such a debate is long overdue. Only 18 months ago these Houses gave a remit to the airport authorities to compete independently of each other. The Dublin Airport Authority has now set out its stall on where it wishes to go. Its core business is in developing Dublin Airport to meet the...