Results 4,041-4,060 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (18 Dec 2008)

Noel Ahern: I do not consider it appropriate to comment on the performance of individual directors of State companies in this manner.

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (27 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: The position is that it is an offence under section 30 of the Road Traffic Act 2004 to supply a car to a person under 17 years of age. A person under 17 years of age, but who is 16 or over, may however be legally supplied with certain other categories of mechanically propelled vehicle for which they are entitled to apply for a driving licence, ie motorcycles of class A1 (in effect scooters),...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (27 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take questions Nos. 546 and 555 together. I have no proposals currently to legislate for the use of alcohol ignition interlocks (alcolocks) in vehicles. I am aware that they are in use in some countries, whether as a legal requirement or on a voluntary basis, but at an EU level there are no proposals for their general introduction. Countries differ in their approaches to the...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (27 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: The roadside breathalysers in use by the Gardaí are calibrated to detect the presence of alcohol in the breath of drivers in relation to the limits set out in current legislation, ie 35 micrograms of alcohol per millilitre of breath. The introduction of a reduced Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) levels for drivers will require the recalibration or replacement and subsequent recertification of...

Written Answers — Road Signage: Road Signage (27 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: The provision of directional road signs on any road and determination of which locations and destinations are indicated on the signage scheme are matters for the road authority and, in the case of national roads and motorways, the National Roads Authority. I have no role in the matter.

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (27 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: On 13 January 2009 the Road Safety Authority (RSA) launched a consultation process on a Graduated Driving Licensing System (GDLS) and published a consultation paper. This contains a number of possible measures and the RSA also welcomes other suggestions from the public. The consultation process runs until 13 March 2009, following which the RSA will consider responses and bring forward in...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: May I assist the Senator?

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: I feel there has been a great deal of consultation over the years. Some people may feel it has been at a broader or higher level and that it was not specific enough, but it was always the intention to have consultation before any final decisions were made. Senator Donohoe's amendment is asking us to insert a statutory commitment in the legislation so that there would be local consultation...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: We are going backwards and forwards. I do not know if the issues raised are relevant to the section we are debating.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: We dealt with the local authority issue.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: The amendment contains a good suggestion by Senator Donohoe that specific statutory recognition of a consultation process be inserted. There has been endless consultation for a number of years on this issue.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: I have not been long in the Department but I have read the files and the reports. Endless reports were produced, sections of which have been read into the record. However, there is a fear that these consultations are with the principal stakeholders at national and regional level and perhaps stakeholders on local issues did not have an input into national or regional ports policy, which is...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: I accept the principle of the amendment. I have forwarded it to the Attorney General for proper and appropriate wording. However, the intent of the amendment is that consultation should not be confined to the large specific stakeholders and everybody should be given an opportunity through some process to make a submission. I agree to insert that in the legislation. That is different from...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: No one has broken promises given. There is a process which is ongoing and has taken a long time. People were to meet others after the report on due diligence was completed, a report which has taken three years to compile and is not yet complete. There is a process and picking one bit here or there and saying that commitments were not kept is not correct.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: It will happen after the due diligence report is completed. It is a process. It is wrong——

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: ——to look at something which has a very long history and pick out something from one page and say, "It has not been done", when one does not look at the context of what happened.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: The effect of these amendments would be to remove Bantry Bay from the section and to remove Tralee and Fenit Harbour. That is the gist of the amendments grouped together and it is not proposed to accept them. As has been said before on Second Stage and on other amendments, this is an enabling power which has been put into the Bill, which happens to come along at this stage, following the...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: ——and that Tralee and Fenit could be transferred to Shannon-Foynes. If the Bill were passed, it would then leave a situation where the current options could be expanded. It would leave a situation whereby three options could be considered for Bantry, Tralee and Fenit. The first option, which is there already, would be the establishment of a private company for the harbour. Option two...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: Depending on their background and experience, many commissioners in a big port or a small harbour probably have a view on how these things should be done. Senator Walsh referred to New Ross and said he was consulted by the consultants to whom he gave his view. Everyone put their pennyworth into the pot. Reports were issued and policy was endorsed by the Government. That is the way it is...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Noel Ahern: Once this legislation goes through it gives three options. Nobody is going to come along willy-nilly on the first day and sign off on something. There will have to be discussions but they cannot go on for another ten years.