Results 5,721-5,740 of 32,602 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Contracts Data (22 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The implementation of individual national road schemes, including Public Private Partnership projects, is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly the National Roads Authority) in accordance with the Roads Acts 1993-2007. The contracts for the privately operated...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (22 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: From a policy perspective, there is a clear and demonstrable need to favour the issuing of licences to wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) rather than for standard taxis or hackneys.  The number of WAVs in the small public service vehicle fleet was 928 in June this year. This represents just over 4% of the total fleet and a reduction of 42% from a peak of 1,600 WAVs in 2008....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport Initiatives (22 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: The National Transport Authority (NTA) is responsible for the promotion and development of sustainable transport modes including walking in the Greater Dublin Area.  Accordingly, I have forwarded the deputy's question to the NTA for direct response to him.  If he has not received a response within 10 working days, he should contact my private office.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Community Involvement Scheme (22 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: ​The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants.  The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Legislative Measures (22 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department is in contact with the NTA concerning the necessary arrangements and resources to implement the requirements of the Act. The Act will be commenced when those arrangements and resources are in place. I am not in a position to fix a date at present.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourist Accommodation (22 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: ​Under the Tourist Traffic Acts 1939-2011, Fáilte Ireland has specific powers and functions in relation to the registration and grading of tourist accommodation.  In accordance with the legislation, certain types of accommodation, such as hotels and guesthouses are statutorily obliged to register, whereas other accommodation segments, such as B&Bs are not.  In...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Functions (22 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: My Department has an established Internal Audit Unit and an Audit Committee both of which operate under charters approved by the Accounting Officer and the Chairman of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is part of the Department’s governance framework whose mission is to advise (and to bring any matters of concern that arise to the attention of) the Accounting Officer and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (23 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: This question appears to have been based on media commentary and conjecture in recent weeks which, I hope is apparent from yesterday, was not fully the case. As announced yesterday, the Government has agreed that the DART underground project should be redesigned to provide a lower cost technical solution. It is certainly not being cancelled. Indeed, the overall DART...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (23 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: If I may go back to one of the earlier questions the Deputy posed to me on the conjecture on the option for the northside of Dublin city that I did not fully answer, I have not given an indication to anybody regarding what that plan will be because I have not brought it to Cabinet. I will only make an announcement regarding what the plan will be when I have secured Cabinet approval. While I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (23 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I have not given any indication to anybody, public or private, beyond close Government colleagues regarding what the recommendation will be. When I have my recommendation to take to Cabinet, I will look for Government approval and at that point I will make an announcement and be subject to questioning by Deputy Timmy Dooley and other Members of the Dáil on it. On two elements of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (23 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: ​Irish Rail remains in a difficult financial situation and has incurred losses in each of the past seven years with accumulated losses of more than €150 million in that period. CIE and its subsidiaries are dependent on continued bank funding and new banking facilities, agreed in 2013, contain a number of financial covenants, all of which were met in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (23 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: Last year, I secured an additional €45 million for Irish Rail and this year, I secured an additional €38 million for Irish Rail on top of the Estimates that were announced at budget time in each year. During my tenure in office I have done all that was possible to respond to the challenges Irish Rail faces. I am well aware of the challenges different parts of the rail network...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (23 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: Deputy Dessie Ellis said I should write the figure off. How am I to do that? It is a loss of €150 million that is sitting on the balance sheet of an independent State company. Earlier this morning I saw that the Deputy’s party was calling for the complete abolition of the property tax, yet at the same time he is asking me to write off losses of €150 million and to find...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (23 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I do have a responsibility, namely, to do what I can to put the right investment into Irish Rail and where appropriate to look to invest in it. I did not see Deputy Ellis’s press release or statement acknowledging the fact that this year alone we put an additional €38 million into Irish Rail although he has asked that I would unilaterally write off the losses of a company that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (23 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for her question. She has raised this matter with me at every Question Time I have taken in the Dáil since I took over this Department. Her description of the project is accurate in terms of its future importance. The business case, which was published yesterday afternoon by the National Transport Authority and which I have made fully available to the public,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (23 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: It is precisely due to the need for better integration of our public transport network and to increase its capacity that the Government is funding the Luas Cross City project and making it happen. We are extending the Luas to Cabra and Phibsborough. We are joining up the Luas in the city centre, and that work is under way. This is the subject of the next question from Deputy Dooley. It is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (23 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I am disappointed with the Deputy's reply. I do my best, when I come to the House, to answer all of the questions that are put to me. I accept many of the points the Deputy is making, but I have also pointed to the fact that, in regard to the very integration she refers to, investment is under way. The Luas Cross City project is being built, the Phoenix Park tunnel is being opened up, more...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Dublin City Centre Transport Study (23 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: ​The Dublin City Centre Transport Study, to which the Deputy refers, is a study that was jointly carried out by the National Transport Authority, NTA, and Dublin City Council, DCC, to assess transport-related issues in the core city centre area in light of changes resulting from the Luas Cross City project in particular.  The study covers all modes of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Dublin City Centre Transport Study (23 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I believe the Deputy is overstating the situation somewhat in describing it as a war under way in regard to car users or the use of cars in the city centre. I have had the opportunity to meet many of the retailers concerned about these plans. I also am aware of the concerns of organisations which run car parks. The Deputy has pointed out that I represent many of the areas that are affected...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Dublin City Centre Transport Study (23 Sep 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I will meet more representatives from the Dublin retail industry tomorrow to hear their views on the matter. The Deputy referred to the potential for hollowing out of the city centre. Few developments are more capable of doing huge damage to the vibrancy of our city centre than immense levels of congestion and the inability of people to travel into the city because of the lack of...