Results 5,901-5,920 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (8 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: Mr. Bernard Allen was appointed to the Board of the Irish Sports Council on 12 October 2011 and his term will run until 16 September 2014. Mr. Allen has waived his entitlement to the fee of €5,985 per annum payable relating to membership of the Council. Mr. Allen will be paid travel and subsistence allowances at the rates specified in and subject to the conditions of civil service...

State Airports (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The Ireland-US pre-clearance agreement signed by both Governments in November 2008 provides for the pre-clearance of commercial aircraft as well as general aviation, both private and business aircraft. General aviation pre-clearance at Shannon Airport was always considered an important feature of pre-clearance given the number of such aircraft that already land there for refuelling en route...

State Airports (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I agree that pre-clearance of cargo would be helpful in terms of offering a competitive advantage to Irish airports. That is being pursued but, as Deputy Dooley will be aware from his time on these benches, there is a way of handling these matters. Contacts are first made at official level and site visits are then carried out. There is a right time to raise the matter at political level....

State Airports (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I have held discussions on the matter with the US ambassador in recent weeks. Opportunities will be taken at the right time and place and there will be visits in February or March. We do not want a Minister to fly to Washington for an unsuccessful meeting with the US Secretary of State because the groundwork was not done beforehand. The Deputy can rest assured that the Government sees the...

Public Transport Projects (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: Funding for all transport capital projects for the next five years will be determined in the context of the capital review which will be published tomorrow. I will announce my Department's plans for such funding, including decisions relating to the large public transport projects in the Dublin area such as metro north, immediately thereafter.

Public Transport Projects (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I do not accept that the measures introduced to boost tourism have not increased the number of jobs. The Restaurants Association of Ireland has indicated an increase in job numbers and we will see from the quarterly results whether job losses have stabilised or increased in the tourism and leisure sector. The ESRI report acknowledges that reducing VAT has increased the number of tourists...

Public Transport Projects (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The 0.6% levy on private pension funds is a temporary measure and will only be in place for three to four years. It brings in approximately €450 million per year, which would not pay for metro north. To be clear, the cost of the project is significantly higher than that, even when spread over a prolonged period. The money that is being raised from the 0.6% levy on private pension funds...

Road Safety (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 28 together. The question relates to the drivers' forum that informs the Road Safety Authority regarding driving instructors and driving tests. Responsibility for regulation and oversight of driving instruction rests with the Road Safety Authority, RSA. In accordance with the Road Traffic (Driving Instructors Licensing) (No. 2) Regulations 2009,...

Tourism Promotion (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The question relates to the Global Irish Economic Forum and other initiatives, including the Gathering. Participants in the 2011 Global Irish Economic Forum discussed the Government's priorities for economic renewal, job creation and the restoration of our reputation abroad, and explored how people at home and abroad could work together to contribute to economic recovery. It was in this...

Tourism Promotion (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: With regard to the Gathering, a chairman, Mr. Tim O'Connor, has been appointed and is in place. The next step is to appoint a board to oversee implementation, which will happen soon. There will be a voluntary council of champions and individual well known celebrities who are being approached and asked whether they will promote the project. There will also be an executive team, the members...

Tourism Promotion (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate the Deputy's comments. As I said, a dedicated funding stream has not yet been identified. We certainly have not agreed the budget for next year at this stage, as we are only beginning those discussions, having finished discussions on the capital budget side. Like all spending issues, I am sure there will be a reduction in the funding available for festivals next year, although...

Pension Provisions (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The Irish airlines (general employees) superannuation scheme, IASS, is a multi-employer scheme involving the employees of Aer Lingus, the Dublin Airport Authority and the now non-operational SR Technics. Following the enactment of the State Airports Bill 2004, all former employees and pensioners of Aer Rianta became employees and pensioners of the DAA and are, accordingly, covered by this...

Pension Provisions (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: Both Aer Lingus and the DAA maintain that they have no liability in this regard. We have to wait for the trustees of the pension fund to bring forward their proposals and I have asked for this to be done by the end of the year. That should be done in the normal way. The trustees will put forward options for how the deficit issue can be resolved. I want it to be resolved. DAA staff are...

National Sports Campus (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: This questions relates to the national sports campus. At its meeting on 21 June the Government approved my proposals for the development of the national sports campus at Abbotstown-Blanchardstown on an incremental basis. In particular, I have asked the National Sports Campus Development Authority, NSCDA, to proceed with the development of a national indoor training arena, to include an...

National Sports Campus (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The sports capital programme announcement will be made tomorrow. This budget line is the responsibility of the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, and I am sure there will be information on it tomorrow. The amount of Exchequer funding for the national sports campus is small. Given the state the country is in, we cannot put millions of euro into the project. We are, therefore, pursuing...

Road Network (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: The question relates to the renegotiation of public private partnership, PPP, contracts. I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in regard to the national roads programme. The implementation of individual national road schemes, including PPPs, is a matter for the National Roads Authority In particular, the statutory power to levy tolls on national roads, make toll by-laws and...

Road Network (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: These arrangements will not be made again under my watch and it would have been better if they had not been made. I will not gratuitously condemn the previous Government for agreeing to them because, at the time, nobody could have predicted the economy would crash by more than 20%. Perhaps their projections at the time were reasonable. One must have two parties to renegotiate a contract....

Road Network (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: At this stage there is major uncertainty with PPPs which does not relate to traffic levels. As neither road would be tolled, traffic levels are not relevant. The major issue with PPPs is that banks are not willing to lend money to Ireland on a 30 year basis at an interest rate we can afford. That could get even harder because next year. European banks must hoard capital to raise their...

Driving Licences (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: Under EU Directive 126/2006, all member states are required to introduce a standard format plastic card driving licence by January 2013. Under the terms of the directive, the licence must feature the name and date of birth of the individual, the dates of issue and expiry of the licence, the licence number, and a photo and signature of the holder. The licence must also specify the category...

Driving Licences (9 Nov 2011)

Leo Varadkar: We could do that, although we would need to pass legislation to invalidate the old paper licences from a certain date, but I do not rule it out. The first thing we should do, however, is get the new system up and running and then we can consider making the old licences invalid. The new licence will be so convenient - it will be a standard form of identity recognised across Europe - that...