Results 3,921-3,940 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: Let us face facts. Let us look at what this Government and the Greens have delivered in terms of transport policy. In the programme for Government they stated they would cut travelling times, improve safety, deliver real commuting choice, reduce congestion and protect the environment. Instead of cutting travelling times, they cut bus services. There are more than 200 fewer buses in the...

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Minister, Deputy Gormley, is cutting the buses.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: Not alone are they doing that, but they are driving private operators, who would provide that choice, off the streets of Dublin. Why are there 30 buses lying idle outside the city? A decent honourable company was run off the streets of Dublin because Dublin Bus competed unfairly with it. Dublin Bus abused its position in the marketplace. That is what the Department of Transport found and...

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: The facts are the potholes are there. The roads are crumbling and the Green Party made it happen.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: What is happening with Garda overtime? What is happening with the Garda traffic corps?

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: It cannot do its job because the Government is not allowing its members to do overtime to police the roads at night.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Government made cuts in that regard.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: Let us go further.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: You had your time and you fluffed it.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: You did not face the facts.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: Cé mhéad nóiméid atá fágtha agam?

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: Let us get three and a half minutes of facts-----

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: -----for the Minister of State, Deputy Sargent. While you tend to you vegetables, listen to this fact. There is no budget for the road safety campaign. The Government has done away with the road safety budget for a campaign to save lives. Certainly, there must be cutbacks in expenditure.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: Maybe I should slow down. I have only ten minutes to get this across. Deputy Cuffe has much time before tomorrow to think about it. The facts are that the Government has cut back on the road safety campaign. That, to me, is unacceptable. People are dying on the roads because of the Government's policy.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: One issue that was promised here almost two years ago was mandatory testing at the scene of accidents. The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coughlan, represents Donegal. She personally has cut back more than €7 million on the roads in County Donegal. Sadly, the number of road deaths is high everywhere, but in Donegal it is particularly high.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: Hold on a second, Deputy Coughlan is in Government. What is she doing about it?

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: If the roads are not safe, people will be worse off. If the Government does not provide road safety campaigns to change people's behaviour it will get worse.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: The key point is that the Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey, promised two years ago that there would be mandatory testing for alcohol and drug abuse at the scene of accidents. There is no sign of the Bill, no sign of the action. This Government has abjectly failed in all respects.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: The people condemn all of you and want you out now.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Government has cut funding to local government. The latter does not have the money because it has been cut back. The Government can run, but it cannot hide.