Results 4,961-4,980 of 32,593 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Network (28 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: Section 10 of the Roads Act 1993 as amended by the Roads Act 2007 provides for the classification of national, regional and local roads. As part of the 2012 roads classification review, all national roads within the M50 were re-classified to regional road status to reflect their changed role in the overall road network. Among other things, part of the old National Route 4 between its...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Fáilte Ireland (28 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: ​Arrangements for the provision of Tourist Information are an operational matter for the Board and management of Fáilte Ireland.  Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to them for further information and direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Transport (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe:  As the Deputy is aware, I am greatly concerned that industrial action has been threatened in circumstances where the National Transport Authority is carrying out its statutory responsibility of proceeding with a tendering process that resulted from an assessment of how best to balance direct award and tendered public service obligation bus services in the public interest. Such...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Transport (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Dooley is performing more U-turns on this matter than the most agile driver in either Dublin Bus or Bus Éireann. The implementation of the tendering process is a consequence of the 2008 legislation introduced by his Government, which he supported. Bringing in a degree of competitive tension to the marketplace is a consequence of that legislation. It is a policy that I believe...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Transport (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I am struck by the speed at which the Deputy moved on from acknowledging his own role and that of his party in putting together the legislation that forms the origin of what I am dealing with today, to an open discussion regarding who is doing what at Minister of State level within the Government. The Deputy has just acknowledged the role he and his party played because he understood then...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Transport (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Priority Question No. 1 from Deputy Dooley in which I had an opportunity to refer to some of the points raised by Deputy Ellis. I will make a number of additional points on the matter. I made it very clear in my intervention yesterday that were any existing employees of Dublin Bus or Bus Éireann to find themselves in a position where they were...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Transport (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy's points are absolutely wrong. I say that with respect because I know the Deputy's interest and support for both companies. It is not a case that if a private operator were to win a tender it would be able to select routes. That point is incorrect. The National Transport Authority is looking at a parcel of routes which is 10% of existing routes and it will make the decision...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Transport (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: It is one thing just to ignore everything I just said a moment ago but it is another thing to ignore everything I said yesterday. The Deputy is asking me to intervene but I remind him of what I did yesterday and what the Government did. We made a very comprehensive intervention to respond to the concerns of employees which I appreciate they would have. I repeat what we said yesterday....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Aviation Policy (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: ​The Government policy on aviation is reflected in Ireland's Regional Airports Programme 2015–2019, which provides for the continuance of three Exchequer support schemes, namely, the OPEX and CAPEX schemes which deal with the operational and capital expenditure needs of airports and the PSO air services scheme. These apply, where appropriate, to the four regional...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Aviation Policy (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I have some other material that I will raise with Deputy Halligan.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Aviation Policy (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I agree with Deputy Halligan that regional airports play an exceptionally important role in delivering balanced development across the country. The Deputy has in the past raised with me the issue of the lengthening of the runway at Waterford Airport and I followed up on that matter in anticipation of this question here today. My Department has been advised that the airport board is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Aviation Policy (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I do not agree with Deputy Halligan's analysis regarding the risk of catastrophic consequences for either Waterford Airport or the other regional airports. The Deputy asked about the Government's response to the guidelines from the European Commission. As I stated earlier, we agreed with the guidelines that were being put out. I suppose we did that for larger reasons. It places new...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Aer Lingus Sale (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: At this stage, I do not have any significant developments to report on the proposed offer by IAG for Aer Lingus. However, I expect that the Government will be in a position to make a decision on the matter in the coming weeks. The Government's interdepartmental steering group and its advisers have continued their engagement with IAG. This engagement has centred on the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Aer Lingus Sale (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: As I stated, this is a matter that I have not drawn to conclusion. The Government, through the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, has made clear that the main elements any guarantees would need to deliver, were such guarantees to be agreed by the Cabinet, would be that they would be robust, certain and have clear oversight mechanisms in place. 10 o’clock The strength of those oversight...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Aer Lingus Sale (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: What strikes me is that the Deputy and Fianna Fáil did not make these points when his Government sold 75% of the company. Let me quote what the Deputy said about the legislation in March 2004. He stated:The purpose of this legislation is to provide for a viable future for the airline. It needs to change the focus which was initially targeted at the national interest. That need is no...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Aer Lingus Sale (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy did not seek in 2004 the very kinds of mechanisms he now seeks.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Aer Lingus Sale (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I have outlined the circumstances that would obtain were the Government to find itself having to seek to dispose of its share. That decision has not been made; it is something we are considering. I have outlined all the criteria against which we would evaluate this decision, on which I am required to come back to the Oireachtas. However, the point I am making very clearly is that the very...

Other Questions: Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: First, I again make it clear that the IASS and its funding are primarily matters for the trustees, the companies participating in the scheme, the scheme members and the Pensions Authority. At the request of my Department and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the expert panel recently re-engaged with the unions to provide clarification on a number of issues arising from its...

Other Questions: Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: As part of this process, both companies contributed €260 million to the resolution of this matter. A total of €190.7 million came from Aer Lingus while €72 million came from the DAA. Out of the €260 million, €60 million went into dealing with matters raised by deferees. This was an increase of €20 million as a result of the expert panel process. ...

Other Questions: Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme (29 Apr 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: One of the great strengths of the way the marriage equality campaign has been handled by everybody involved is the great attempt by those of us advocating for a "Yes" vote not to politicise it or bring party political matters into it. I regret the way the Deputy has sought to integrate matters which are entirely different and separate. Although the Deputy has asked me not to repeat facts, it...