Results 3,841-3,860 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: Standards for new passenger cars in the EU are specified in a range of EU type-approval directives that are incorporated into a system known as EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval, WVTA. WVTA facilitates the achievement of a single market for cars through harmonised safety and environmental standards. New cars must have WVTA in order to be placed on the market in the EU. Once a car has WVTA, it...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 118 of 23 February 2006. The matter raised by the Deputy is being considered by me in the context of revisions to road safety legislation generally which I intend to bring to Government shortly.

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: I propose to extend the fixed charge system that is provided in the Road Traffic Act 2002 from 3 April 2006 to a wide range of traffic and parking offences that are enforced by the Garda Síochána. The extension of the fixed charge system will also apply in respect of those offences that are currently enforced by traffic wardens under the fine-on-the spot system. The fine-on-the-spot system...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: The basis for Transport 21 is a ten-year capital envelope agreed with the Minister for Finance. This envelope comprises an agreed annual provision for Exchequer and PPP expenditure over each of the ten years based on a combination of project specific allocations for major infrastructure works and global allocations for certain areas of expenditure like traffic management. Each year annual...

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 383 together. I refer the Deputy to my reply of 1 February 2006 to Questions Nos. 129, 158, 172, 179, 190, 200 and 280 in relation to the matter. The position remains unchanged.

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: EU negotiations with the US about a wide-ranging aviation agreement finished on 18 November 2005, at which time the text of a draft EU-US air transport agreement was settled. The only outstanding issue now is the outcome of the US's moves to amend its ownership and control rules so that EU carriers, for example, could have much greater control over the commercial activities of US airlines...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: The planning, design and implementation of national road improvement projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority, NRA. I understand that the NRA's Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, which was originally published in December 2000, contains standards and advice notes relating to the design, assessment and operation of national roads in Ireland. The NRA requires that the design...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: The terms and conditions of employment of bus drivers is a matter for Dublin Bus. These drivers are not covered by the EU regulation on drivers hours or by the EU directive on the organisation of working time of persons performing mobile road transport activities because they are operating on a regular passenger service within a 50 km radius. I will, however, bring the matter to the attention...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: Section 22 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 provides that where a person is convicted of a drink driving offence, the court shall, unless it is satisfied that there are special and substantial reasons for not so doing, order that person to pay a prescribed amount to the courts as a contribution to the costs and expenses of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety. I am currently examining the provisions...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: The penalty point system applies points to a driver's record and provides for that person to be disqualified when he or she has accumulated 12 points. On receipt of notifications from the Garda Síochána or the Courts Service that a fixed charge has been paid, or a person has been convicted of a penalty point offence, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, endorses...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: It is the function of the National Roads Authority under section 17 of the Roads Act 1993 to secure the provision of a safe and efficient network of national roads. As part of this function, the National Roads Authority has overall responsibility for the planning, design and maintenance of national roads. I understand that the Health and Safety Authority has a remit to investigate incidents...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127, 129 and 161 together. The planning, design and implementation of national road improvement projects, including the Dublin Port tunnel, is a matter for the National Roads Authority and the local authorities concerned. Good progress continues to be made on the construction of the tunnel. I am informed that the civil engineering work within the tunnels has...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: The position of the Government in relation to drink driving policy is set out in a comprehensive manner in the road safety strategy 2004-06. This recognises that our priority is to improve compliance with the existing 80 mg per 100 millilitres of blood limit, rather than move to new limits. We apply an 80 mg limit with very strict application of driving disqualification. Lower blood alcohol...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 378 together. My Department, in its statement of strategy, has as one of its guiding principles the encouragement of modal shift in favour of attracting passengers to public transport. The investments needed to support this policy are contained in Transport 21 which provides a massive investment in public transport. In the greater Dublin area alone,...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: In view of the unacceptably high level of road fatalities in Donegal, and in particular on the Inishowen peninsula, the Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, has held urgent consultations with relevant officials in Donegal to discuss the issue of road safety in the area. A seat belt campaign was recently launched by the Minister of State in Donegal to increase awareness of the importance of...

Written Answers — Air Services: Air Services (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: I refer the Deputy to my reply to a similar question, for written reply, on 16 February 2006. In that reply I stated that my Department was in the process of transposing an EU directive on mandatory occurrence reporting, directive 2003/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2003 on occurrence reporting in civil aviation, into domestic legislation. There is an optional...

Written Answers — Traffic Management: Traffic Management (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: The group which met as part of the Clare Street initiative on 5 October last identified 15 priority projects to improve traffic management in the greater Dublin area. I will let the Deputy have the details of the projects in the coming days. The further development of these projects is being considered by the relevant agencies and will be followed up by the Dublin Transport Office.

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: The National Safety Council, as the agency mandated with responsibility for road safety education and information, operates a dedicated penalty point website, www.penaltypoints.ie. I understand that the website is being redesigned-updated in the context of the changes pending on road safety issues and policy. The website will be operational again shortly. In addition, the National Safety...

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: Neither I nor my Department have had discussions on the possible change of use of existing lands under the control of Dublin Port to promote new residential development, nor has my Department commissioned analysis in the matter. Dublin Port is a State-owned company established under the Harbours Act 1996. The Act provides that the principal objects of the company include the provision of such...

Written Answers — Traffic Management: Traffic Management (7 Mar 2006)

Martin Cullen: Preparation and adoption of the HGV traffic management strategy to ensure optimum use of the Dublin Port tunnel by HGV traffic is a matter in the first instance for Dublin City Council. My Department's formal role will be to put in place the necessary regulatory framework as regards traffic signs, etc., to support the strategy. As a major new element in Dublin's road network, the Dublin Port...