Results 2,861-2,880 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: The national development plan, NDP, identifies spending of €152 million to increase the capacity and improve the quality, reliability, frequency and speed of bus services in the Dublin region. The investment programme involved the expansion of the bus network to meet demand, through the phased purchase of additional buses to increase passenger capacity and meet the development requirements...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: The information sought by the Deputy is unavailable as there are no statistics kept on the number of driving tests conducted through Irish.

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: The driving test in Ireland is designed in accordance with the requirements of the European directives on driving licences, which set out the skills that a driver must demonstrate during a driving test. As in other EU countries there is a variation in the pass rate among test centres. The pass rate may be influenced by a number of factors including the number of lessons taken by the...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: My Department currently employs 120 driver testing staff including eight female testers. The recruitment to these posts is a matter for the Public Appointments Service, which operates an equal opportunities policy.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: I am currently considering the views and issues put to me by the various stakeholders during discussions to date on the reform of the public transport market. It would be premature to hold further discussions with the CIE unions until I have considered the range of issues put to me by all the stakeholders. However, it remains my intention to engage in a spirit of partnership with the...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: Superannuation matters and employment levels within CIE are a matter for the group in the first instance. I have no proposals in that regard.

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: The ten year transport capital investment framework — Transport 21 — announced on 1 November, will replace the current five year investment envelope as and from 1 January 2006.

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: The public transport partnership forum, originally established under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness and continued under Sustaining Progress, provides a mechanism for consultation with the social partners on public transport matters, including public transport investment requirements, priorities and programmes. During the course of 2005 there have been presentations and discussions...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: The Government strategy on road safety 2004-06 does not contain a commitment relating to the production of annual progress reports in the same manner as was the case with the first strategy. As I advised the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport yesterday, I intend to take the opportunity later in the year at a suitable occasion to give an outline of overall progress in relation to the...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: The Medical Bureau of Road Safety continues to analyse blood and urine specimens received under the Road Traffic Acts for the presence of a drug or drugs where the level of alcohol determined is under the legal limit of 80mg-100ml in blood and 107mg-100ml in urine or when a specific request for drug analysis has been received from the Garda when the alcohol result is above the legal limit....

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 to 178, inclusive, and 200 together. The improvement and maintenance of national roads, including road safety engineering matters, is the responsibility of the National Roads Authority, NRA, and local authorities under the Roads Act 1993. The information sought is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 179 and 180 together. As I indicated yesterday to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, of which the Deputy is a member, I am actively considering the issues of the introduction of an administrative disqualification for certain drink driving offences and a general review of the legislation relating to intoxicated driving with a view to making progress...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: This is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, as I understand that any such pipeline would of itself require an environmental impact assessment, EIA, under the EIA directives and regulations.

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: My Department chaired a steering group overseeing a cross-departmental review of road safety expenditure which examined expenditure incurred over the lifetime of the first road safety strategy 1998-2002. This review seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of all public spending on road safety and, to establish the impact of road safety performance on other areas, such as health and emergency...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: The primary immediate investigative role in road accidents is vested in the Garda Síochána. Priority in such an investigation must be given to the determination of the causes of road accidents including whether a breach of the road traffic laws contributed to the occurrence. The Garda Síochána is the body empowered to make such a determination and to pursue criminal proceedings against...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: The National Safety Council, in consultation with the Department of Transport, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and the City and County Managers' Association, is developing a template for road safety action plans which will be piloted in ten chosen local authority areas. The results of these pilots will inform the development of models which can subsequently...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: The Government's Strategy for Road Safety 2004 to 2006 states that driver licensing regulations will be amended to discourage long-term reliance on provisional licences. I am considering what amendments should be made in this regard. However, I regard the elimination of the present backlog of applications for driving tests as an important first step.

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: The Government's Strategy for Road Safety 2004 to 2006 states that driver licensing regulations will be amended to introduce a requirement that motorcyclists on provisional licences must display L plates. I propose to make the necessary regulations during the currency of the strategy.

Written Answers — Driving Licences: Driving Licences (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: In June 2003 a notice requesting the submission of tenders to supply a plastic card licence was published in the EU Official Journal. Several developments took place following receipt of tenders and the proposals were reviewed in the light of these developments. The changes included the publication of a draft EU directive on driving licences in October 2003 proposing the issuing of new...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (3 Nov 2005)

Martin Cullen: The framework for the mutual recognition of driving disqualifications imposed in Britain or Northern Ireland and this State is contained in the European Union Convention on Driving Disqualifications. Legislation to support the application of the convention is contained in the Road Traffic Act 2002. The convention relates to disqualifications arising from a range of specified traffic offences...