Results 6,361-6,380 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- Road Network (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: We have made a commitment to provide â¬25 million in 2015 and 2016 and that money will be provided. We will review the position if the economic and budgetary circumstances dramatically change before 2015. That is the only context in which we could review the recently published capital investment plan. Things are different in Northern Ireland which has access to very large transfers from...
- Road Network (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: I agree that upgrading the A5 is important and beneficial, not only for Derry but also for north County Donegal. I am pleased, therefore, that with the help of the British sovereign and taxpayers, the Minister for Regional Development in Northern Ireland, Danny Kennedy, MLA, is able to proceed with construction of sections of the road. Unfortunately, owing to the financial position in which...
- Road Network (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is a statutory function of each road authority, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on such roads are a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. The Limerick northern distributor road involves two phases. The first is the...
- Road Network (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: The purpose of route selection is to allow people to prepare for the future. A route is identified and land is set aside for construction in order that the road can be built in due course. It is not and should not be my role to plan regional roads from No. 44 Kildare Street. It is the role of local authorities, in this case Clare County Council. A planning process is in place. I expect...
- Road Network (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: I do not have a difficulty with receiving a delegation from the region but I will be telling it exactly what I told the Deputy, namely that there are legal and planning processes. The authority is Clare County Council and it will select the route. Eventually the matter will go to An Bord Pleanála. At no point will the selection of the route or whether the road has planning permission be...
- Public Transport (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, public transport fares are a matter for the CIE operating companies in conjunction with the National Transport Authority which is responsibility for regulating the maximum fare on public service routes. I am aware that the NTA approved a range of fare increases in respect of the CIE companies, which took effect last month. It is, however, important to point out...
- Public Transport (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: I have sympathy for what the Deputy is saying but I do not see any evidence of increased traffic volumes. Perhaps if that is the case, it is a sign of a recovering economy. I do not necessarily think that increasing traffic volumes would be such a bad thing. The numbers using public transport are down slightly on last year but not by as much as they went down in 2010. The situation is...
- Tourism Industry (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: Tourism Ireland is responsible for the overseas promotion of Ireland as a tourist destination. Decisions on participation in individual commercial events and other day-to-day decisions are operational matters for the agency itself and the Minister has no role, function or responsibility in them. As the matter raised is entirely a matter for Tourism Ireland, I have referred the Deputy's...
- Tourism Industry (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: Funding from the travel tax was used in the latter half of the year. While it was intended that the travel tax would be abolished, it was not possible to come to an adequate agreement with the airlines, so some of that money was reinvested in a winter tourism promotion scheme and an access promotion in conjunction with airlines. In total, â¬9 million in money from the travel tax and from...
- Tourism Industry (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: That question is probably more relevant to the Minister for Finance or the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform than to me. The vast majority of the cost of the jobs initiative was the VAT reduction, which has been very successful, and the reduction in employers' PRSI for those on modest incomes. In the forthcoming revised Estimates volume, there is provision for an increase in...
- Aer Lingus (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: The question refers to Aer Lingus and whether it is a strategic asset, as well as my views on the Heathrow Airport slots. Aer Lingus is a PLC, a public limited company, and the Government only holds a 25% equity stake in the company. Consequently, Aer Lingus as a company cannot be considered to be a State asset. The minority stake is, however, an asset but is not considered to be a...
- Aer Lingus (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: With respect, the Deputy is now trying to change the question, but I have answered the question he asked. When Aer Lingus pulled the services from Shannon, the 25% shareholding was not sufficient for the then Government to change that decision. Therefore the holding of that 25% stake was not strategic because the Government of the day could not do anything to change the decision. The...
- Aer Lingus (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: The question relates to assets. To have an asset, one must own it. The Government does not own Aer Lingus or the slots and, therefore, the company cannot be considered to be a strategic asset. Of course, links between Ireland and Britain, and specifically between Dublin and Heathrow, are of strategic importance, but they are not strategic assets. One does not have to own something for it...
- Light Rail Project (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 38, 43 and 46 together. The railway order application for Luas BXD was submitted by the Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, to An Bord Pleanála in June 2010 and the oral hearing for the scheme concluded in April 2011. An Bord Pleanála wrote recently to the RPA seeking submissions and observations on matters relating to the railway order application...
- Light Rail Project (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: The projects were discussed in great detail. When the revised capital plan to 2016 was decided upon, one question that arose, and one on which I and the Minister of State, Deputy Kelly, sought assurances, was that if the Luas BXD went ahead first, whether it would still be possible to build metro north and the DART underground without having to close down the BXD line for several months. A...
- Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: The Deputy's question relates to the application of penalty points to foreign drivers licenses. Under the Road Traffic Act 2002, penalty points are required to be endorsed on the Irish driving licence record held on the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) and a current driving licence is required to serve penalty points. or the majority of cases this endorsement takes place without...
- Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: The Deputy's question relates to introducing new road traffic legislation as it pertains to cyclists. I am committed to supporting the continuing development of cycling as a core part of any effective transport policy recognising that it offers a healthy, affordable and environmentally friendly means of transport. Under the Programme for Government, we set out our commitment to continue...
- Written Answers — Tourism Promotion: Tourism Promotion (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 48 and 50 together. The Deputies' questions relate The Gathering initiative. I presented proposals for "The Gathering 2013" at the Global Irish Economic Forum last October. Fáilte Ireland is the lead agency for the implementation of the initiative while Tourism Ireland Limited will have specific responsibility for promoting "The Gathering 2013" in...
- Written Answers — Property Transfers: Property Transfers (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: The Deputy asked me a similar question regarding this building in June 2011. My response at the time was that I was not aware of any proposal to transfer this building and this remains the case today. Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company is a State commercial port company established and operating pursuant to the Harbours Act 1996-2009. Section 15 of that Act states: "A decision by a company to...
- Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (16 Feb 2012)
Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 262, 267, 268 and 271 together. The Deputy's questions relate to the employment prospects from the various sectors under my Department's remit. The Action Plan for Jobs was published on Monday last and sets out a coordinated Government approach to job creation. It places a particular emphasis on tourism as one of the key areas for the generation of...