Results 30,701-30,720 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I welcome the opportunity to outline the position on the matter. I am aware of the impact that decisions relating to changes in An Post operations have on communities and individuals, in both rural and urban areas. An Post is a commercial State company with a mandate to act commercially and, as such, day-to-day operational matters, including decisions relating to the size, distribution, and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I am frightened that I might intervene in matters which we, as an Oireachtas, have given An Post a statutory responsibility to fulfil. Risking that, I might well approach the chief executive. I, too, would be interested. It is a really good company that is trusted and well managed and deals with a large volume of transactions across the State. The underlying reality, however, is that the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Traffic Management (16 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the Deputy very much. I know the area he is referring to well. As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding for the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, under the Roads Acts, 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the operation...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Traffic Management (16 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As it happens, I am meeting the NTA later this morning so I will raise this and will push for it to look at south Dublin. On another point, the Deputy is right about focusing on making it safe for our children to take the bus, walk or cycle to school. On days like today, when traffic tends to be bad and the weather is not great, 30% of the morning rush-hour traffic is children being driven...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Noise Pollution (16 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I do know the area. My grandfather grew up there. We had a family farm just on the other side of the Glantane and I absolutely accept what the Deputy is saying about the impact of noise, particularly. It is often forgotten about or it is slightly abstract but it has a huge impact on people’s quality of life and health so it is a real issue. I will read the response I have...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Noise Pollution (16 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: No. I will ask my private secretary to bring a copy.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Noise Pollution (16 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I am interested in whether the resurfacing as part the Dunkettle upgrade has had an impact. That is why mapping is important to measure before and after and I do not know whether that extends as far east. I mentioned the Ringaskiddy development because it is likely to increase the volume of traffic and, potentially, heavy goods vehicles, which are even noisier in terms of their weight they...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Air Navigation Orders (17 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, for allowing me to address this question. Under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Orders, 1973 and 1989, the carriage of munitions of war by civil aircraft in Irish sovereign territory and by Irish-registered civil aircraft, wherever they are operating, is prohibited, unless an exemption from this...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Air Navigation Orders (17 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I will come back with the remainder in my follow-up answer.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Air Navigation Orders (17 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: First, to be clear, I agree with the Deputy. It is totally unacceptable, should any munitions carried through Irish airspace or landing in Irish airports en route to the conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon and the Middle East, especially following what we heard earlier about our soldiers being on the front line there, and the citizens of Gaza. Every party, and I think every Deputy, in this House...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Air Navigation Orders (17 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The information provided relates to wide variety of carriers. We have contacted every single one of them. The initial allegations were related primarily to carriers based in Belgium. We have been in contact with the Belgian Government, and I expect we will get the same information that The Ditch has been releasing. That will give us much greater insight, we expect, into whether exactly...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Air Navigation Orders (17 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Okay.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Policy (17 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 72 together. As the Deputy may be aware, the All-Island Strategic Rail Review was undertaken in co-operation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. Following two public consultations, the review’s final report was published on 31 July 2024. The review's final report sets out 32 strategic recommendations to enhance...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Policy (17 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I will conclude as I have a minute of speaking time remaining. This will give us time to start ramping up what I see as key strategic projects, many of which have already started. There is the likes of the western rail corridor where we have started clearing the line this year. There is also building a rail link to Shannon, which refers back to what we said earlier about how we get better...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Policy (17 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: In this way we could create a cluster.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Policy (17 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I will try to answer all of the questions. I will begin with Deputy Ó Murchú's questions. The next Government and the one after it will have to recognise that we do not have the funding for everything. We are going to have to make some hard choices. To my mind, the choice should continue to be the prioritisation of public transport. The real benefit is that it will bring us...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Policy (17 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I will have to disagree with the Deputy regarding the Foynes experience. It is possible to work very quickly when we work in this way because we are not caught in planning. Irish Rail turned around the Foynes line really quickly and I hope it can do the same on the western rail corridor. Regarding Deputy Harkin's question, I accept the need to improve access to the north west. Much of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Policy (17 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I am glad Irish Rail was able to adjust the timetable on the eastern corridor because it was inconveniencing commuters. I hope the change will bring the schedule back on track. We are investing significantly in the east coast. As I said, the first line to be part of this new electrified rail system will be that running to Drogheda, which will see the use of new battery electric trains. We...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Policy (17 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with the Deputy 100%.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Policy (17 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: It is the stop-start nature of it. The proof of this can be found when we look at what happens when we do not do things that way. If we look at when we built out the motorways programme, which was done in a strategic way, with long-term certainty, money guaranteed and contractors knowing they had two decades of work, we see we were, in international comparative terms, able to deliver...