Results 5,221-5,240 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Fishing Vessel Safety: Fishing Vessel Safety (31 May 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has implemented, in consultation with the fishing industry, a comprehensive safety regime for all fishing vessels. The safety standards applied are in line with International good practice. Specifically, the regime requires all fishing vessels to carry an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon in compliance with International standards, in...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (31 May 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The €15 million allocated as part of the Government's jobs initiative is a separate programme from the capital budget being considered for the implementation of the Smarter Travel Areas programme. The €15 million will go into labour-intensive traffic management and smarter travel projects to create safer road junctions, better footpaths, improved bus networks and rail stations and...

Tourism Promotion (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The Government's recent jobs initiative includes a three-pronged strategy to encourage inbound tourism. The first element is the proposed abolition of the €3 travel tax; the second is a new growth incentive scheme recently introduced by the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA; and the third is a more targeted co-operative marketing of new air routes from key source tourism markets by Tourism...

Tourism Promotion (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The figures for this year so far may be somewhat misleading in that the numbers are down across the three airports, particularly Shannon and Cork. The numbers were down for January, February and March, but up for April as a consequence of low figures for last year as a result of the ash cloud disruption, and will probably be up for May for the same reason. It will be interesting to see...

Tourism Promotion (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: On the first point, I have had discussions with the chief executive officers of Aer Lingus, CityJet, Ryanair and Aer Arann, as well as the chairpersons of three of those airlines. I have been in correspondence with the international airlines. Engagement with the latter is important because just as Irish people tend to fly with Irish airlines, even in these modern times, so too do people...

Harbours and Piers (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: Dún Laoghaire Harbour is owned and operated by a commercial State company. The primary responsibility for the development of the harbour lies with the company, on behalf of the State. The company is unique among the ten State port companies in that, while its main income stream is still from commercial shipping, the harbour is also the State's largest marine leisure amenity. In addition,...

Harbours and Piers (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I assure the Deputy there will be real consultation and input from users, stakeholders, the local community and the staff in respect of the master plan. That is the point of the master plan. We will launch the master plan consultation in the coming weeks. Everyone will be invited to participate. In respect of ports, the McCarthy report recommends that they be consolidated into three port...

Departmental Funding (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: All of the €75 million provided for transport projects under the jobs initiative was reallocated from existing funds within my Department's overall capital allocation as follows. Some €40 million savings on the national roads budget for 2011 had been provided for close-out payments on projects already completed and is not now required in 2011. Some €10 million savings came from Luas...

Departmental Funding (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: With regard to the €40 million, this came from funding allocated to final close-out payments for motorways and the inter-urban motorway network in the main. These final payments go to arbitration as costs are estimated in advance. As it turned out, after arbitration less money was owed for those roads than was anticipated. The decision was then to be made as to whether the €40 million...

Tourism Promotion (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: It is obvious that next year's centenary of the Titanic sailing presents significant opportunities for Irish tourism and work is already under way to ensure the benefits are maximised. Tourism Ireland commenced its Titanic promotion activities last September with a week-long showcase in the Grand Central terminal in New York. It has also set up a dedicated Titanic website and has brought...

Tourism Promotion (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I am sure the Deputy has seen it already but there is a website, www.the-titanic.com, which has much information and has been translated into a number of languages. It is worth a visit. We have plans to develop amenities at the harbours and ports. There are regular grants for harbours to allow this development. By and large, most of the resources must come from the port companies in the...

Ports and Harbours (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: This relates to the transfer of ownership of a building called Harbour Square on Crofton Road in Dún Laoghaire from Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for use as a new library headquarters. I am not aware of any such proposal. The company is currently doing a public consultation on a future master plan for the harbour. The master plan will help ensure...

Ports and Harbours (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: As far as I understand it, the €35 million capital programme in the county council would be approved by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government rather than me, unless it relates in particular to tourism. From the information we have the council is proposing to build its own library headquarters in Moran Park, which is adjacent to the Royal Marine Hotel. That is...

Ports and Harbours (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I have investigated the matter to the extent that I am aware of two aspects of it. First, a democratically elected council has decided it wants to locate the library elsewhere and, second, even though part of this commercial building may be vacant it is already leased on commercial terms and is subject to a property agreement.

Ports and Harbours (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: It may well be empty but it is leased on commercial terms and that lease would have to be bought out. I am not going to interfere with local governance. I believe in local government and it is the right of the elected councillors to decide where they want to locate their library and how they intend to pay for it.

Ports and Harbours (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy should raise it with the council. He is the local Deputy.

Tourism Promotion (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The programme for Government includes a commitment to introduce a new procedure for answering oral questions by State agencies. The chief executive of every State funded agency will be required to attend the relevant Oireachtas committee on a regular basis to answer oral parliamentary questions that can be submitted by any member. There will also be a requirement that State agencies answer...

Tourism Promotion (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I will do so.

Sports Capital Programme (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I cannot answer this question on behalf of the Taoiseach. I attended the GAA congress dinner in April but did not attend the congress itself. For that reason I cannot elaborate further.

Sports Capital Programme (1 Jun 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The question before me asks the Taoiseach to elaborate.