Results 2,601-2,620 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: There have been no ex gratia payments made to staff in my Department's press office in respect of persons being on call and their additional attendance at work before or after normal hours.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: This Department operates a flexi-time working system, which allows the majority of staff to start work from 8 a.m. and to finish up to 7 p.m. Requirement for compensatory leave, although it does arise, is exceptional. On those occasions, compensatory leave is dealt with by the individual and his or her line manager. Staff also work additional hours without compensatory leave.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: The personnel files of staff in my Department have not been copied or given to external parties. My Department complies with the Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act regarding disclosure of the personal data of staff members.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: Since June 2002, when the Department of Transport was established, three staff in my Department have been granted leave of absence in excess of two months for educational purposes. All three were participating on the master's programme in public policy analysis, which is a two-year, full-time programme run by the Institute of Public Administration. One person started in 2003 and completed the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: In the current academic year, 32 members of staff from my Department submitted applications for a refund of evening and weekend course fees. The value of refunds expected to be made in 2005 is approximately €69,000. In the last academic year, 2004-05, a total of nine staff who were approved in principle to attend evening or weekend courses did not subsequently apply for a refund.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: My Department has a policy of facilitating training and development both during office hours and also where evening or weekend study is required. The proportion of the financial allocation for training and development spent on refunds to staff in respect of evening and weekend courses in the most recent year amounts to approximately 15%. The table below lists the evening and weekend courses...

Written Answers — : (18 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: In the past year the Department of Transport has spent approximately €1,780 on 23 briefcases, including refunds requested for use by departmental staff. Of those, 20 were acquired for use by driver testers. The largest single amount paid for a briefcase was €225. No briefcase has ever been purchased by the Department for the Minister or his political advisers.

Written Answers — : (18 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: Staff of my Department are provided with personal digital assistants where there is a business case to do so. There are currently 18 PDAs in the Department. Those have been issued mainly to grades of PO and above. Decisions on the allocation of PDAs are made at Principal Officer level or above. The total cost of these PDAs is approximately €7,700. The most expensive of these cost...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: One member of staff is currently on restricted duties owing to a medical condition. That officer's condition is reviewed by the chief medical officer on a quarterly basis. My Department treats each staff member's health with the utmost care and understanding. When such cases arise, each case is treated individually. Any individual absent owing to a prolonged certified medical absence is still...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: An amount of €341.30 was paid by my Department to the above-mentioned company in July 2002 in respect of an Internet content management workshop. Normal controls were applied, and I am satisfied that value for money was received.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: No payments were made by my Department to the company in the period mentioned.

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (18 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: The information requested by the Deputy, as at 10 October, is set out as follows: Centre Applications on Hand Average Weeks Waiting Longest Weeks Waiting Number of Testers Buncrana 733 32 32 — Donegal 1,176 35 40 — Letterkenny 2,309 23 43 3 Driver testers are assigned to headquarter centres. Other test centres within the region are served from the headquarter centres.

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (18 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: In order to deal with the unacceptable delays in obtaining a driving test, my Department and the Department of Finance have agreed a package of measures to reduce the backlog of driving test applications. The package includes a bonus scheme for driver testers, the recruitment of additional testers as well as the temporary outsourcing of a block of tests for a set period. The use of temporary...

Airport Development Projects. (19 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: In keeping with the provisions of the State Airports Act 2004, the board of the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, has a statutory mandate to do everything necessary to give effect to the restructuring of the State airports. The Shannon and Cork Airport Authorities were incorporated in September last year and in line with the framework provided by the 2004 Act, these two authorities will, in due...

Airport Development Projects. (19 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: I agree with the Deputy that there are complex issues surrounding the three State airports. However, we must not lose sight of the important fact that all of the airports are showing record growth at the moment. That is fundamental to their futures, particularly for Cork and Shannon, with Shannon due to reach the 3 million passengers mark for the first time, while Cork will show a throughput...

Airport Development Projects. (19 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: Then there would be no income from it and I do not know whether anybody would actually do that.

Airport Development Projects. (19 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: I assure the Deputy that no one has given me any indication that the current rate of charges at Dublin Airport can be sustained. We now have the determination by the Commission for Aviation Regulation. That clearly has implications and is being studied by the board of the Dublin Airport Authority in conjunction with officials from my Department. The process of the airports separating is well...

Airport Development Projects. (19 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: I reject absolutely what the Deputy has said. Having attended a couple of European Council meetings on transport, with Ireland being very much to the forefront, I can confirm that this is one of the few countries with an absolutely clear view on open skies. That is led by the decision that I made in office——

Airport Development Projects. (19 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: I did not interrupt the Deputy. In less than 12 months in office, I made a decision on aviation, in conjunction with the Government, that no previous Ministers in 20 years had made. The Deputy might disagree with some of the decisions. That is her right. However, the decisions have been made with absolute clarity on the development of the airports and the structure of Aer Lingus for the...

Airport Development Projects. (19 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: ——and that is why Ireland is best positioned to capture open skies with the transatlantic routes. We do not even have to look just to the transatlantic routes, we should also be looking at the Middle East——