Results 3,301-3,320 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Railway Stations: Railway Stations (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: I advise the Deputy that I have no function in respect of this matter. Responsibility for the development of rail freight operations at particular locations rests with the company in question.

Written Answers — Tourism Industry: Tourism Industry (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 865, 866, 870, 873 and 875 together. On 6 December 2005, the European Parliament and the European Council reached agreement through the conciliation process on a new EU regulation designed to improve driving times and rest periods for professional drivers. The new rules will replace the existing drivers' hours rules which have not been updated since 1985. It...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: I refer the Deputy to my answer to Question No. 337 of 12 October 2005, which set out details of contracts awarded since the Department of Transport was established in June 2002. Advice received as a result of such consultancies is an integral step in the formulation and implementation of the policies of the Department of Transport. The cost of such advice in 2005 was €1,353,000. The...

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: I understand from the Railway Procurement Agency that a look-back study is being completed in respect of the two Luas lines. It is expected that the study will be completed in the coming months and the main findings will be made available in due course.

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: The new Shannon and Cork Airport authorities were incorporated in September 2004. In line with the framework provided by the State Airports Act 2004, the two new authorities will own and operate the airports when sufficient distributable reserves are available to the Dublin Airport Authority to transfer the relevant airport assets to them. Under the 2004 Act, the Ministers for Transport and...

Written Answers — Driving Licences: Driving Licences (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: Under the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations, 1999 to 2004, persons who suffer from any of a prescribed list of diseases or disabilities must submit a medical report certifying them as medically fit to drive with their application for a driving licence or renewal of a driving licence. This requirement is in line with general EU requirements on the periodic medical assessment of...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: Pending the receipt and consideration of the report of the Dublin transport authority establishment team, which I recently put in place to make recommendations on the establishment of a transport authority for the greater Dublin area, it is not proposed to take any initiative in respect of the Dublin Transport Office advisory committee.

Written Answers — Rail Services: Rail Services (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: The Dublin to Westport line has been totally re-laid with modern continuous welded track in recent years. Significant investment has been made in associated infrastructure, such as bridges, level crossings and fencing. Work is under way on a project to modernise the signalling system on the line, to be completed in 2007. Iarnród Éireann will begin taking delivery in 2007 of 150 new...

Written Answers — Traffic Management: Traffic Management (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: The use of bus lanes is provided for in the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997 and 1998. The primary purpose of bus lanes is to facilitate and promote bus based public transport. The regulations, which have national application, generally limit the use of bus lanes to buses and, in the case of with-flow bus lanes, to cyclists. an exemption to the restriction relating to the...

Written Answers — Social Insurance Fund: Social Insurance Fund (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: The amount of superannuation collected from employees of the Department of Transport was €379,686 in 2003; €438,600 in 2004 and €467,587 in 2005. Superannuation contributions are not paid into the social insurance fund. The pay-related social insurance contributions collected from employees of the Department of Transport came to €650,395 in 2003; to €722,690 in 2004 and to...

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: The Department of Transport operates under the Department of Finance's 2000 policy document, A Positive Working Environment, which was amended in 2005. The document sets out, inter alia, the policy of the Civil Service on bullying. The document has been circulated to all employees. There are no outstanding law cases regarding the issue by employees. Three cases have been dealt with in the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: Some €84,900 was paid to staff of the Department of Transport as bonus or merit award payments for the year ending 31 December 2005. Some €44,900 was paid to those holding posts of assistant secretary, which are covered by a scheme of performance related awards overseen by the Committee for Performance Awards. The funding for awards is based on 10% of the payroll for the posts covered by...

Written Answers — National Safety Council: National Safety Council (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: The National Safety Council has been allocated €5.559 million from the Exchequer for 2006. The council also receives funding from the Irish Insurance Federation and from private sponsorship.

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: Driving tests for category C, rigid truck, in Loughrea and category EC tests, articulated truck, in Galway city are suspended, as certain manoeuvres which form part of the test can no longer be safely conducted on test routes in the respective locations. The Department of Transport has asked the Office of Public Works to secure a suitable off-road compound so that HGV tests can be conducted...

Written Answers — Rail Services: Rail Services (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: Iarnród Éireann has advised me that it is in negotiations with a shipping company about the transport of full container trains between Ballina and Waterford Port. Subject to clarification on a number of outstanding issues, this service is due to commence in mid-April this year. It is my policy that Iarnród Éireann should remain in the rail freight business. I am aware that it has made...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: Provisional driving licences issued by licensing authorities are recorded on the national driver file, held and administered by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which has advised that 404,607 provisional licences were current at 31 December 2005. Information on numbers awaiting driving tests and waiting times is set out in the following table: Applications...

Written Answers — Departmental Strategy Statements: Departmental Strategy Statements (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: The requirement to produce an annual corporate procurement plan comes from the national public procurement policy framework, which was issued by the Department of Finance in May 2005. In response to the policy document, the Department has undertaken steps to produce a corporate procurement plan in 2006.

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: Most of the bodies under the aegis of the Department of Transport have submitted their annual reports for 2004. The reports have been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas if there is a legislative requirement to do so. The exceptions are the National Safety Council and the Dublin Transportation Office.

Written Answers — Drug Testing: Drug Testing (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 888 and 889 together. I have not directed a date under Article 18(1) of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety Establishment Order 1968 by which the medical bureau is required to submit its annual report. The bureau submits its annual report and accounts to the Department on the completion of the audit of the accounts by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor...

Written Answers — Traffic Management: Traffic Management (25 Jan 2006)

Martin Cullen: A large number of regulations have been made under section 82 of the Road Traffic Act 1961, as amended. A number of them have been repealed. The regulations made under section 82 which remain in force, in part or in full, are as follows: Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations, 1963, (S.I. No. 191 of 1963); Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations, 1964, (S.I. No. 106 of...