Results 27,321-27,340 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (30 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The strategic rail review did a good job. There were further proposals for rail lines, particularly in the Border counties, running from Mullingar, through Cavan and Monaghan, towards Portadown. That is a strategically important route. We have to go back to the particular case from earlier. We have to be careful. We cannot do everything. While I would love to see a railway line reopen...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (30 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Upgrading an existing line can be at some point become akin to building a new line. The national investment framework for transport guides our spending decisions in the Department and uses existing assets as much as possible.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (30 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: That is where one can deliver more quickly. It underpins the strategic rail review.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (30 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the Deputy. I wish to advise the Deputy that I have been made aware of the ongoing issue of access at Clongriffin train station. It is my understanding that the current access from the east side of the station in Baldoyle is a stairwell and lift connecting to a bridge over the railway. This was built some years ago by a private developer and is not in the ownership or...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (30 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I absolutely agree with the Deputy. I commit to taking a personal interest in this, because it is not acceptable in the public realm and the fact that this mixture of assets is not being maintained or accessible. This is a 400-space car park that is not being used at a time when we are talking about using existing assets. The fact that various different developers are now in ownership of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (30 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I support what all three Deputies have said. We are all agreed on this and I will ensure we make it a top priority to come to a resolution between the various parties.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (30 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the Deputy. As part of Government’s continued investment in improving our rail network, the DART+ programme will extend and enhance the current DART system and services west to Maynooth and Celbridge-Hazelhatch. The DART+ fleet project will also introduce electric and battery electric units to the DART network over time, and may allow for the introduction of DART services...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (30 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The most immediate matter is the deployment of those ICRs. That will happen next year, as I said, and I will look for them to be deployed as quickly as possible. We have a budget issue in that we have so many different new public transport services to be put in place that we have to make sure we have the budget allocation for all of them. I am confident we can do that. Iarnród...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (30 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I very much accept the Deputy's comments. He represents his constituents well. There is an urgent need for us to switch. The M7 motorway in is completely jammed. The M50 is at full capacity. We have no additional road capacity. We have to start switching people to public transport, especially on the likes of the Kildare line, where the numbers and the demand are so large.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the Acting Chair and the committee for this opportunity to present details of the Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Transport. The Supplementary Estimate is in two parts: a substantive Estimate voting additional funds to the Department, and a technical Estimate, reallocating capital funds within the Vote between different subheads. In total, €81.468 million in...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I will start with that last point. The Deputy is absolutely right to focus on it. The Dáil debate this afternoon was very useful. There are so many different aspects to it. One of the aspects that is most important is the role of public transport workers. They had an incredibly difficult experience. A number of drivers were pulled out of the cabs in their buses and intimidated and...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: First, the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan is a game-changer for rural public transport. It was phased out at the start of the last year when we introduced 38 new and enhanced services. This year, it is pretty much running along the lines of introducing a new service a week. I want to see that continuing and expanding. The response from the public has been phenomenal. The...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Yes, we have funding within our overall programme. I will be looking for additional funding. There is still funding to be allocated. The summer economic statement provides some of the corporate tax surplus and we are looking to reallocate some of that. Yes, I am looking to provide it. This year, recognising that inflation had eroded some of the road spending we were providing, we...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with the Deputy. I was at one of the depots recently. I cannot remember the exact figure, but I think the manager said that people of 68 different nationalities are driving our Dublin buses. That is all to the good. As the Deputy said, getting drivers has been our biggest problem. This is also the case for mechanics. There is a real shortage of mechanics. We need the figures...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with the sentiments expressed by the Deputy. I talked to the management of Dublin Bus after the event and I have a sense that they had fairly good information. They closely monitored what was happening, and because there were so many buses around the city drivers were able to report in and share information. There are very extensive cameras on all our buses, so it is not as if...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: It will be one of the things coming out of that.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I will give an experience of where I saw it happening. I have been in the national emergency control centre. Wherever we need to go into that, we obviously will. I will give a more local example with which the Deputy is bound to be familiar and it was interesting. I was in Midleton after the flooding and visited the fire station, which was used as a control centre. I spent an hour or so...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with the Deputy. The investment in Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick is vital. The national planning framework calls for better balanced regional development. Look at each of those cities. In Waterford, we are moving the train station and building a new bridge. In Limerick, we are reopening the Shannon-Foynes line. We have a great deal of work to do in Galway - the Oranmore...