Results 6,201-6,220 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Order of Business (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: It is already against the law to shoot people.

Dublin Port Tunnel. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in regard to the national roads programme element of Transport 21. As the Deputy is aware, the implementation of individual national road projects, including the Dublin Port tunnel, is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Act 1993 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. The Dublin...

Dublin Port Tunnel. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: What I expect to be done is exactly what the NRA is doing as the contracting party with NMI. It will pursue this company legally to get it to comply with the terms of its contract. If the equipment does not meet the standards clearly laid out in the contract, if it will not stand over that and deliver to the terms of its contract, the NRA has the right to go after it legally to get...

Dublin Port Tunnel. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: As I said, the NRA is pursing this with the contractor and is doing the type of things for which the Deputy asked. It is best left to the NRA to do these things. I have every confidence the NRA will pursue this matter. I agree with the Deputy that it is unacceptable that this should have happened, and continues to happen. It is a matter for the NRA to pursue to ensure it does not continue.

State Airports. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I have asked Mr. Peter Cassells to consider the disagreement between the Dublin Airport Authority and the Cork Airport Authority on the portion of the overall Cork Airport debt to be borne by the CAA on its separation from the DAA. Mr. Cassells's brief is to establish whether it is possible for the two boards to resolve their long-standing difference on this core issue. I have asked him to...

State Airports. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: As with so many speculative reports in the newspapers, there is absolutely no truth to the rumour that I am reconsidering the State Airports Act 2004 with a view to not proceeding with the separation. Prior to the general election, the Government made it clear that the restructuring proposed under the State Airport Act would have to be done in a way which would ensure not only that the future...

State Airports. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: As soon as the report is available to me, it will be considered. It will become public at some stage thereafter. Mr. Cassells is due to report to me in respect of this matter tomorrow. All airports are funded through charges levied on passengers. I refer here to landing charges, charges levied by airlines on customers, car park charges, etc. It is not rocket science to state — as did...

Public Transport. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: Plans to introduce competition into the Dublin bus market have not been abandoned. The Government is committed to the further expansion and enhancement of public bus services and wants a world-class service to be delivered to all citizens. Moreover, it is wholeheartedly committed to obtaining best value for the travelling public and the taxpayer from significant subsidies being invested by...

Public Transport. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: The problem with the Deputy is that he reads newspaper headlines and reports which bear little relation to reality or to anything I have said and takes them as gospel. I cannot be held responsible for what the Deputy might think——

Public Transport. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: ——as a result of what he might read in certain publications. The statements I have made in this House are statements of policy. The statements in the programme for Government deal with public transport. That is the policy I am pursuing. I have outlined my priorities, on which I intend to deliver, one after the other, which will give us the public transport system we need in Dublin....

Public Transport. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: The Acting Chairman could not expect me to be brief when dealing with a tissue of lies.

Public Transport. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I withdraw the word "lie"——

Public Transport. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: ——and call it an untruth.

Public Transport. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I have. It is an untruth, or several untruths. The Deputy will have to stop getting his information from unreliable sources.

Public Transport. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: Yes. The Deputy has to stop believing the headlines that some sub-editors put at the top of the newspapers. Once, if not twice, I explained the Dublin transport authority Bill was ready and complete when I took office.

Public Transport. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I reviewed its terms in the light of changed circumstances, one of which I told the Deputy was the composition of the Government. I thought it courteous to allow my new colleagues to read the terms of the Bill.

Public Transport. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I indicated to the Deputy that a PSO directive was almost finalised and that the Bill had to be reviewed in that light. There was a legal action against the State at EU level that also had to be taken into account. I had a particular interest in ensuring the land use and transport sections of the Bill would be sufficiently strong to ensure the issues could be married. I also told him that...

Public Transport. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: The Deputy should not get too excited about the negative spins put on Transport 21 in the newspapers. We are spending €9.4 million per day and will secure 175 million extra public transport journeys as a result.

Public Transport. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: There will be 75 million extra suburban rail journeys.

Public Transport. (6 Mar 2008)

Noel Dempsey: Yes but I would hate for the Deputy to read all the negative stories and not to be aware of all the wonderful things happening in the country. Perhaps he would prefer to continue in his ignorance.