Results 5,021-5,040 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

National Cycle Policy Framework (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: This is an easy one. The Deputy asks if there are plans to remove the mandatory use requirement for cycle lanes. The removal of the requirement to use cycle lanes where provided is one of the undertakings in the national cycle policy framework. Subject to finalising some safety aspects of the proposal, I hope to make the necessary amending regulations later in the year. Where a cycle lane...

National Cycle Policy Framework (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The Minister of State, Deputy Alan Kelly, and I have had detailed discussions with the sustainable transport section in the Department. Subject to confirmation of the delegation order, most of these matters will fall into the brief of the Minister of State. He or I will meet representatives of the Dublin Cycling Campaign. I have had a good look at the national cycle policy framework. It is...

Civil Aviation Legislation (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: Section 49 of the Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Act 1998 gives powers to authorised officers, including members of the Garda Síochána, to inspect any civil aircraft where there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that an individual on board is guilty of one or other of the offences referred to in section 33(1)(d) of the 1988 Air Navigation and Transport Act. These include...

Civil Aviation Legislation (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The Garda can be trusted to be neutral in giving an opinion on this issue and in doing its job. The powers granted to authorised officers are granted to gardaí. We do not have any plans to appoint authorised officers beyond members of the Garda. I do not want to go too much into the issue of extraordinary rendition because it is a question that should be directed to the Minister for...

Air Services (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 30 together. A decision to reduce to two the number of routes covered by public service obligation, PSO, air services, was taken in line with the value for money review of the Exchequer expenditure on the regional airports programme. This review took account of a number of factors including the performance of the services, the requirement to make best...

Air Services (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The regional airports and the airlines are private entities. As such, I cannot give the Deputy any guarantees on behalf of regional airports or airlines. However, I can say that the PSO for Donegal has been submitted to the European Commission as also has the PSO for Kerry. The money is available for those services and it is a Government objective that those PSOs should be in place by the...

Air Services (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate Deputy McConalogue's view on this matter but if the previous Government did not have the money to provide a PSO service to Derry and the economic situation has deteriorated since then, I am sure he can understand why I do not have the money to restore a PSO service to Derry. Ultimately it came down to a choice. There can only be one service for the north west and it was a...

Air Services (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: A value for money review was carried out and those different aspects were taken into account in that study. I do not wish to be blunt but I need to be blunt. The country is in receivership. We are way past the stage where we can do things on the basis of cost-benefit analyses. In the past when the country was not in receivership one could decide to spend €2 million and down the line...

Public Transport (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The Queen is elderly - she is in her 80s.

Road Network (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Question Nos. 32 and 39 together. The programme for Government includes a commitment to introduce a new procedure for answering oral questions by State bodies. The chief executive of every State funded body will be required to attend the relevant Oireachtas committee on a regular basis to answer oral parliamentary questions which can be submitted by any Member. There will...

Road Network (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: Perhaps the right way forward is for me to arrange for the Deputy to meet the NRA to convey his views directly. The provision of service stations is an objective of the NRA but they must be considered on a case-by-case basis. It is appropriate to locate them in some places but not in others and we do not want to have too many spread out on a single road. We often find that while there is...

Road Network (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: Under the current policy, the NRA has identified optimum locations for 12 service areas at approximate intervals of 50 km to 60 km and legislation was amended in 2007 to allow it to do that. Generally, service areas are designed to offer a full range of services, including convenience retail services as well as extensive car, coach and HGV parking and Garda enforcement areas. In addition,...

Written Answers — Taxi Regulations: Taxi Regulations (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The National Transport Authority is responsible for the regulation of the taxi industry under the Taxi Regulation Act 2003. The former Commission for Taxi Regulation was absorbed into the National Transport Authority with effect from 1st January last. The recently agreed Programme for Government contained a commitment to review and update the regulation of taxis to ensure that taxi services...

Written Answers — Air Services: Air Services (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: Under domestic law, a number of types of air services stand authorised subject to my being satisfied that the operator is competent to secure the safe operation of the aircraft to be used in the proposed service. The services that stand authorised are listed in S.I. No. 326 of 1993. To give the Deputy an example of the types of services in question, an over-flight by aircraft of a...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 53 together. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The provision of transport services in this jurisdiction is a matter for individual transport operators, and where appropriate in conjunction with the National Transport Authority. The question of the...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the National Roads Authority's Annual Report for 2010 and its Programme for 2011. As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme element of Transport 21. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads, is a matter for the National Roads...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads are matters for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. In addition, the statutory power to levy tolls on...

Written Answers — Air Services: Air Services (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: There have been many allegations made by various organisations about alleged rendition activities through Irish airports and/or through Irish airspace. I understand that a number of such allegations have been investigated in the past and have led to no action. None of the various investigations have revealed any evidence, or even a specific allegation, that any person has on any occasion...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 47 together. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to public transport. Responsibility to develop, procure, implement, operate and maintain the integrated ticketing scheme in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) became a function of the National Transport Authority (NTA) with effect from...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (20 Apr 2011)

Leo Varadkar: A public transport feasibility study was commissioned by Cork City Council in 2008 for the Cork Metropolitan Area which was funded by my Department. The study known as CATS (Cork Area Transit System) sets out a public transport strategy to meet the public transport travel needs of the region up to 2020 and beyond. Amongst the key recommendations of the Study are: the development of a...