Results 5,961-5,980 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Road Safety. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I do not know whether Opposition Deputies can be asked to stop misleading the House. I did not veto anything.

Road Safety. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I accept that——

Road Safety. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: On a point of order, I was of the view that I could suggest someone was misleading the House but that I could not state that he or she was telling lies.

Road Safety. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I will take what Deputy——

Road Safety. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: The Deputy made an accusation that I vetoed a proposal which was presented to me. I did not do so.

Road Safety. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I have stated previously, since I became Minister for Transport and when I served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, that I take road safety more seriously than any of my predecessors. We put in place the first road safety strategy when I was Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I will not refer to crashes that occurred at the weekend or...

Road Safety. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: We have a serious problem. When I arrive at my office each morning, the first thing with which I am presented is a sheet listing the latest position in respect of road deaths and injuries. I requested that this information be provided as a matter of priority because I take this matter seriously.

Road Safety. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I did not say that young people do not drink and drive.

Road Safety. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I said what the Deputy alluded to in his second statement, namely, that young people are more likely to use taxis, select a designated driver or make some other arrangement. It is unfair to make a blanket criticism of young people because they are making——

Road Safety. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: ——major efforts. In the debate on this matter, everybody tends to dump on young people and that is grossly unfair. I accept the Deputy's comments on Dr. Bedford's fine research in this area. However, that research did not indicate whether the people with the relevant level of alcohol in their blood actually caused the accidents in question. I am awaiting information and statistics...

Road Safety. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: There is no doubt that alcohol is a major factor. It causes or is a factor in approximately 37% of accidents. There is an argument for reducing the limit to 0.2, or 20 milligrams, for younger drivers on the basis that they have less experience and may not be able to cope with the effects of alcohol as well as others. There are arguments on both sides.

Public Transport. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110, 111 and 115 together. Following two independent reviews of the integrated ticketing project in early 2006, my predecessor established the integrated ticketing project board in July of that year. The board was given responsibility to deliver the technology required to deliver an integrated smart card ticketing system within an agreed specification,...

Public Transport. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: When I was at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and this was first mooted, I expected the project to be completed much earlier than today. With regard to the review of the current project which took place in 2006, all of the timelines have so far been adhered to and all the progress outlined in that has come about. The timescale is being maintained. There is...

Public Transport. (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: With regard to the completion date, the integrated ticketing board is currently responsible for the delivery of the project and it reports to me. It is intended that when the Dublin transport authority is in place, it will take over responsibility for delivering the project. The expected cost, as I noted earlier, is €49.6 million, with this figure based on pre-tender estimates. We will...

Order of Business (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: They are all friends of Fianna Fáil.

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: The Railway Procurement Agency has made significant progress in examining the feasibility of a Luas Line serving Rathfarnham. It is examining the feasibility of a line in the corridor from Dundrum to the city centre via Harold's Cross, Rathfarnham and Terenure. I understand that the Agency is currently reviewing its preliminary conclusions and following the completion of this process, it...

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: Transport 21 provides for a Luas line to run from St. Stephen's Green to Liffey Junction, with the project being delivered in two phases. The first phase, known as Luas Line Bx, runs from St. Stephen's Green to the City Centre and the second phase, known as Luas Line D, runs from the city centre to Liffey Junction. This is consistent with the long-term transportation strategy in the Dublin...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: The provision in the Road Traffic Acts in this context is not a voluntary one. Where a person has accumulated 12 penalty points and is to be disqualified for holding a licence for a period of 6 months, they are required to submit their driving licence to the issuing licensing authority within 14 days, and failure to comply is an offence. The penalties on summary conviction for that...

Written Answers — Taxi Regulations: Taxi Regulations (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: The Commission for Taxi Regulation published new National Vehicle Standards — Requirements for Small Public Service Vehicles on 26 November 2007, which include new accessible vehicle standards for licensing as wheelchair accessible taxis and wheelchair accessible hackneys. My Department is in discussion with the Commission for Taxi Regulation in relation to a proposed subsidy arrangement...

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (5 Feb 2008)

Noel Dempsey: This is an operational matter for Dublin Port Company. I have no function in regard to such industrial relations matters.