Results 6,461-6,480 of 32,610 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Other Questions: Public Transport Fares (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy knows, the National Transport Authority, NTA, is the statutory body charged with regulating public transport fares and I have no legal function in the matter. On 30 October 2015, the NTA published its fares determination for 2016. In setting fares, the NTA takes a number of factors into consideration including, of course, the financial contribution that fare revenue makes...

Other Questions: Public Transport Fares (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I have outlined to the Deputy what my role is in how these decisions are made and how the fare structure is set. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I expect that as our economy recovers, more public investment in public transport is made and the balance sheets of public transport companies begin to improve in line with increases in their passenger numbers, the frequency and...

Other Questions: Public Transport Fares (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: As I have said, I accept it is not good for public transport and for this country's climate change agenda if fares go up at such a rate that they clearly make the use of public transport unattractive, particularly for families. I remind the Deputy that the most recent fare determinations differ considerably from the fare determinations that were made earlier in the crisis with which this...

Other Questions: International Agreements (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: As the Deputy knows, saving lives by improving road behaviour is at the heart of the road safety measures that have been taken here and in the UK. In the past, it was possible for a driver who committed a serious road traffic offence in one jurisdiction and was detected and prosecuted, resulting in a driving disqualification, to return home and continue to drive without any recourse being...

Other Questions: International Agreements (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: Before I answer the Deputy's questions, I would like to anticipate the possibility that I will not get an opportunity to speak about all of these road safety matters after Christmas. I acknowledge that the Deputy and the other Deputies present today have made a significant contribution to addressing the issue of road safety in this Dáil. It is a matter that is treated differently from...

Other Questions: International Agreements (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: We have to acknowledge that the vast majority of road traffic cases are successfully prosecuted. To take the application of penalty points alone, more than 84% of penalty point cases before the courts-----

Other Questions: International Agreements (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I can understand why the Deputy wants to make that point given that he made a number of statements on the matter. The Courts Service then had to clarify the interpretation of statistics.

Other Questions: International Agreements (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: The Deputy has made his points. He put forward an analysis with respect to some of those statistics, which he is perfectly entitled to do. A week later the Courts Service gave a very different interpretation with respect to the figures he offered.

Other Questions: International Agreements (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: The advice the Deputy has just offered me is advice that goes both ways in regard to the analysis of statistics that come out of our court system. I stand by the point I made that any road traffic offence that goes before the courts is one the Judiciary independently has to evaluate and make its mind up on. The vast majority of such cases that go before the courts are successfully prosecuted.

Other Questions: Cross-Border Projects (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I understand from the National Transport Authority, NTA, that it has held discussions with the Department of Regional Development and Translink in Northern Ireland in order to explore the possibilities for integrated cross-Border ticketing. The current ticketing systems are incompatible and the NTA understands that Translink is in the process of putting together a tender for new...

Other Questions: Cross-Border Projects (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I agree that cross-Border co-operation in the transport area could deliver practical benefits to commuters in both jurisdictions. We need only consider what we are doing in the tourism area where both jurisdictions are working together successfully to deliver more than either could deliver on its own. In regard to fares and ticketing integration, discussions are under way but because the...

Other Questions: Cross-Border Projects (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: Integration of our ticketing systems is very much a long-term objective but engaging and co-operating better in terms of how tickets are made available in either jurisdiction undoubtedly would be of benefit. With regard to senior citizens travel, that will have to flow from the potentially successful conclusion of the discussions that are under way, but that can only happen if agreement...

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I was simply pointing to what is being done and the big changes that have been secured. I am also acknowledging what needs to be done. As opposed to going through the material I shared with the Deputy earlier, I will outline new information in this regard. With regard to our bus fleet, I propose to establish a green bus fund for the period 2017-20 to support the purchase of cleaner and...

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: The investment in our road network is intended to make it safer in many cases and to join up facilities, assets and cities that need better connectivity. I thank the Deputy for acknowledging that we are making progress in the public transport sector. I accept we need to make more progress and I have outlined how we are working on that. However, it is also important to acknowledge the big...

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I hope the Deputy accepts that many of the public transport services to which I have referred will have to use the roads in which we are investing. Bus Éireann buses will have to use the roads we are upgrading. The Deputy can talk to the company's managers about the needs they have in the context of improving our road infrastructure in order that public transport can work better....

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: She should travel the road between Cork and Kerry we are looking to upgrade, via the Ballyvourney to Macroom project, and see the difference that could be made to road safety. She should also visit Deputy Pringle's constituency and examine the road projects that have been welcomed there. They all address road safety. One of the points the Deputy is missing in the question she has put is...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.  The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA).  I understand it is proposed to close all level crossings on the Maynooth line...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: ​Since January 2013, in accordance with EU requirements, Irish learner permits and driving licences have been issued in plastic credit-card sized format instead of the older paper format. EU Directive 2006/126/EC provided for a number of security features as part of the card design.  The card containing a microchip was an optional feature and the Irish driving licence...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: ​As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Act 1993, as amended, in conjunction with the local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects Status (16 Dec 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: ​As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme.  The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII, formerly known as the National Roads Authority) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local...