Results 29,321-29,340 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I fully support the commitment in the programme for Government to maintain the existing road network to a high standard and to fund safety improvements. That being said, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, each local authority has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of its regional and local road network. Works on regional and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I absolutely agree with Deputies Smith and O'Sullivan. Investment in maintaining our roads is our first priority and the best investment because, as the Deputy has said, if you let them go, it costs much more to restore them. There are also great safety and other benefits to properly surfaced and dressed roads. Funding for road maintenance has increased by 20% over the last four years, the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: That is true but there was an increase in the budget. Last year, Cavan got a budget of €18.14 million, an increase of €629,000 on the previous year. Monaghan got some €17 million, an increase of €834,000 on the previous year. I have met the officials and engineers in the county councils in Monaghan and Cavan and they do a very good job. They are highly...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I understand that. The area also has a very dispersed and wide network of roads but so do other counties. Cork is a good example. To answer Deputy O'Sullivan's question, we are working with Cork County Council to provide the funding it needs for the roads that were affected by the flooding in Glanmire and Midleton. The resources are somewhat constrained by how quickly the council can...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I assure the Deputy that we will do everything we can. In honesty, the budget available to us is limited but we will try to reallocate any funding we can garner from other areas. The Deputy is right about the increase in costs. The increase in the cost of bitumen and other materials was very significant. It gives us a certain hope that those inflationary impacts are starting to reduce....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I do not have an answer to the Deputy's question as to the survey work that was done. There are sections on the line from Claremorris to Athenry that will require some reasonably significant civil works. For example, roads have been built across the line in the intervening period. However, these issues can be overcome. I cannot recall the exact period in which the section from Claremorris...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: If that is not the case, it is all the better for us if we are to deliver a greenway on the line. The benefit of this is that it would preserve the line in public ownership. It is not included in the strategic rail review and the introduction of a greenway would not be hindered. If held in public ownership into the future, that line provides a potentially very beneficial future asset....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I do not believe that only the quality of the line was considered. There are so many different investment requirements that there has to be some prioritisation. 12 o’clock If the line is, as the Deputy said, still intact and in public ownership, that would help and for it to be maintained in that way is the first priority.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: This Government recognises the importance of accessible and efficient transport links in rural Ireland for fostering social inclusion, economic development, and overall quality of life. In support of this, our ambitious plan for rural connectivity, Connecting Ireland, has seen exponential growth in rural transport services over the last few years, with over 100 new and expanded services...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As the Deputy may be aware, the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy has been developed to deliver an accessible, integrated transport network that enables the sustainable growth of Cork up to 2040, including the rail system in the area. Good progress has been made in delivering key projects within the Strategy, including the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme. This Programme represents...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I want to assure the Deputy that I recognise that transport connectivity is hugely important for people who live and work in Ireland and it is key to bringing life back into our villages, towns and urban centres. I am strongly committed to providing all citizens with safe, reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and our new Connecting Ireland programme plays a key role in the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As committed to in the current National Development Plan, the reinstatement of the Western Rail Corridor is being considered as part of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. This Rail Review was announced by me in 2021, in partnership with the Minister for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. The Review will inform the development of rail on the island of Ireland in the coming decades to...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Policy (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have no plans to introduce congestion charging at this time. However, there is no denying that congestion is a problem. At a national level, the cost of congestion to the economy is projected to reach €2 billion by 2040. So to help address the issue of congestion, I recently published for public consultation a draft Strategy 'Moving Together: A...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Dublin Bus (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I would like to thank the Deputy for the opportunity to address the comfort break policy that Dublin Bus has for its drivers. I want to start by reassuring the Deputy that Dublin Bus is fully committed to ensuring that all of their employees working across the network, such as drivers or mechanics, have adequate and appropriate access to bathroom facilities while carrying out their...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the Deputy for his question. I know that this project is of great interest to him. The Government has earmarked €5.1 billion for capital spending on new national roads projects from 2021 to 2030 as part of the National Development Plan. The greater portion of the funding for new road projects becomes available in the second half of the decade, and this has meant that there...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Park-and-Ride Facilities (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including park & ride facilities. As the Deputy may be aware, the National Transport Authority (NTA) established a Park and Ride Development...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Active Travel (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel. Funding is administered through the National Transport Authority (NTA), who, in partnership with local authorities, have responsibility for the selection and development of specific projects in each local authority area. Funding under the Active Travel Programme is focused on...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the provision of public transport infrastructure as well as the provision of an accessible, integrated public transport system for all users. In light of the...