Results 501-520 of 4,026 for speaker:

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Sports Funding (21 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: 74. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the special Covid-19 grants will be paid by Sport Ireland; the amount and value of the grants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31824/20]

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Sports Capital Programme (21 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: 75. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding sports capital grants; when she expects to be able to announce a new round of same; and the amount that will be available to clubs under such an announcement. [31825/20]

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: I can say to Deputy Matthews that I would love a list of affordable electrical vehicles because all such vehicles of any size seem to be unaffordable at the moment.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: I welcome the Minister of State. As she is aware, this committee has put front and centre of its initial work the issue of testing and getting our aviation sector ready for when safe and increased travel can happen, when, hopefully, our part of the world can knock the pandemic back. I am encouraged by some of the Minister of State's words today. She mentioned it is a good time to start...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: The Government has been successful in ensuring public transport workers and infrastructure feel like they have been insulated for the most part. The Expressway service is a non-PSO service run by Bus Éireann and it is a vital service that must be retained in some fashion. The PSO services have been comforted by the funding that has been there this year and I hope that will continue. ...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: That is encouraging. People expect and understand minor bumps in the road with regard to projects, given the year we are having. From what I can see and what the Department of Transport has published, the major projects still seem to be moving forward more or less at the pace that has been set out. Hopefully, that will continue. I will make a small point the Minister of State might...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: On the issue of active travel, I believe there is a lot of low-hanging fruit by way of paths and junctions. We need to put people with disabilities in the frame. These are works that do not require planning permission. There are backlogs of minor works that make major differences in operations departments of councils up and down the country. I hope that this funding will trickle down...

Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: I wish to make a point. Anyone who was around in the previous Dáil – I was not – will remember that time was fairly regularly given over to statements on the mother and baby homes. If it was not regular, it was often. That gave a sense to some survivors that at least the Dáil had not forgotten about them. While it was not legislation but statements, the issue was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (27 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: I thank Mr. Cornelis. The questions I was going to ask him have already been asked, so I will direct my questions to the IAA. I will not take the full seven minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (27 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: Notwithstanding the fact that the IAA is a financially independent commercial semi-State body, we might have been forgiven for thinking that, since it is also a safety regulator, there would be some circumspection in its submission. There is none, however. The submission is refreshingly blunt on the need for an airport testing regime. When appearing before the Covid committee several...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (27 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: In bold font in its submission, the IAA states that it covers all aspects of aviation safety. From a passenger point of view, Covid is the main safety aspect at the moment. Speaking personally, I would not feel safe travelling now. If there was a testing regime, be it pre-departure or on arrival, I would feel safe. I believe that is representative of the majority view across the country....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (27 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: From sitting on the committee, does the IAA believe that the Department's view has evolved? What is Mr. Brandon's sense of the Department's position?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (27 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: I will leave it at that. The IAA has made a strong submission and I hope that the Government takes cognisance of it. I thank the witnesses for their participating in this meeting. It has been most useful.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: I welcome the witnesses. There is a sense of déjà vuabout this discussion because we had more or less the same conversation this day three weeks ago at a previous meeting of the committee. Unfortunately, that meeting was followed by three further weeks of inaction on the part of the Government. I am very interested in what the level of communication is between senior management...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: Would it be fair to say that Aer Lingus is leading that engagement? In other words, is it the case that the company is proactively making representations to the Department and the latter is not leading that engagement?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: My sense is that since the report of the Commission for Aviation Regulation in the summer, the sittings of the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response and through to today, we have not seen the level of urgency that is required in terms of implementing a plan for the sector. We know that even if a plan were implemented next week that included rapid testing, locator forms and everything else,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: If we get this first step wrong or do not take it, are we going to see extensive job losses in the two airlines next year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: I thank all the witnesses for returning so soon. We have two realities here. We have the reality of what has been happening in this committee over the past two days with all the witnesses increasingly frustrated and understandably angry at the lack of progress and we have the reality of the Minister for Transport cycling to a Cabinet meeting today saying that he would love see airport...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: Was that for testing or passengers?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Duncan Smith: Cork Airport has been discussed. There is pressure on all our international and regional airports. We know Cork Airport is worth up to €1 billion a year to the economy of Cork and the south. What level of engagement has taken place between the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the DAA on Cork Airport, in particular? I am very interested in the level of engagement with the Minister and...