Results 6,521-6,540 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Driving Licences: Driving Licences (13 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: Under EU law, Ireland is required to introduce a plastic card format of driving licence by 19 January 2013. My Department decided that the transition to a plastic card licence provided an opportunity to review the way in which driving licences are issued. Consultants were engaged to examine the options, and recommended a transition from the present system, under which licences are issued by...

Written Answers — Ports Sector: Ports Sector (13 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I see two principal aspects to my relationship with the ports sector. Firstly and most importantly given the crucial importance of ports to the traffic of goods and people into and out of this island, it is to ensure that we have a ports sector which can facilitate this traffic in as efficient and competitive manner as possible. This is essential...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (13 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: The Government has decided, in the context of its plans for the Rationalisation of State Agencies, that the Irish Aviation Authority and the Commission for Aviation Regulation should be merged. My Department is in consultation with the agencies involved and is examining the measures, including legislation, needed to implement such a merger.

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (13 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: The proposed amalgamation of the National Roads Authority and the Railway Procurement Agency is in line with proposals in the Programme for Government to reduce the number of State agencies and this commitment was reaffirmed under the Government's Public Service Reform Plan, which was announced on 17 November 2011. A number of options relating to the restructuring of NRA and RPA are...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (13 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: As part of the Public Service Reform Plan published last November, the Government decided to review the role of Shannon Development in relation to its tourism functions and possible merger of those functions with Fáilte Ireland. I have asked Fáilte Ireland - in consultation with Shannon Development - to commission an independent review of Shannon Development's tourism role. The review is...

Written Answers — Public Sector Staff: Public Sector Staff (13 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: I am providing information for my Department's staff who worked in Shannon, Co. Clare. In this regard, four members of staff retired between 1 January 2010 and 29 February 2012 which is known as the "grace period". I have asked the State agencies under the aegis of my Department to provide the Deputy with the information requested. If you do not receive a reply from the agencies within ten...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (13 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: The current and capital expenditure for regional and local roads will be reduced significantly over the next few years. In making adjustments to the regional and local roads budget the primary aim has been, and will continue to be, as far as is possible, to protect previous investment in the road network and use the available funding to maintain and restore public roads, including those in...

Written Answers — Road Signage: Road Signage (13 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads, including the provision of road signage, in its area, 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 provision of road...

Written Answers — Penalty Points: Penalty Points (13 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: It is my Department's intention to retrospectively associate penalty points accumulated by the holders of non-Irish driving licences with the records of the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) and any driver who has accumulated twelve penalty points will be disqualified from driving. The Deputy will appreciate that it is essential that this task must be carried out with extreme care to...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (13 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 690 and 691 together. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to regional and local roads funding provided to Cavan County Council and Monaghan County Council in 2010, 2011 & 2012 is available in the Dáil library.

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (13 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: This is a day to day administrative matter for Fáilte Ireland. I have, accordingly, referred the Deputy's Question to the agency for direct reply. However, given that the level of detail requested by the Deputy would not be readily available to Fáilte Ireland (i.e. breaking the allocations down by constituency), I have therefore asked them to, instead, provide the details of the individual...

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (13 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: On 23rd September 2011, on my instructions, the Railway Procurement Agency withdrew the Railway Order application for Metro West from An Bord Pleanála. I took this decision as this project is unlikely to proceed for some considerable time having regard to current economic circumstances and higher priorities. Metro West was proposed as an orbital Metro connecting Tallaght in the west of...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (13 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: The Contract for the N2-N3 Link Road was awarded to Roadbridge on 1st September 2011. The estimated cost of this project is €24 million (€6m of which is the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport's contribution) and the Council anticipates that it will be completed by February 2013.

Written Answers — Search and Rescue Service: Search and Rescue Service (14 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: The Coast Guard co-ordinates a multi-disciplinary approach in undertaking search and rescue operations. It has available to it a range of service providers and assets, including the National Maritime Operations Centre in Dublin and sub-centres in Malin and Valentia, fifty volunteer Units located mainly around the coast, contracted search and rescue (SAR) helicopters, Royal National Lifeboat...

Written Answers — Railway Maintenance Contracts: Railway Maintenance Contracts (14 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: The issue raised is a matter for Iarnród Éireann. I have referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please inform my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Written Answers — Road Project Contracts: Road Project Contracts (14 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: 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 are matters for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Noting this position, I have...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: Under my Department's Vote in the Revised Estimates Volume, published on 23 February, just over €18.6 million is provided from the Exchequer for road safety agencies in 2012. Of that amount, almost €13.9 million has been provided to the Road Safety Authority.

Written Answers — Tourism Industry: Tourism Industry (14 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: This matter is covered extensively in the Strategic Review of the Camping and Caravan sector which was conducted by Fáilte Ireland in 2011. The review contains a number of key recommendations and key tasks. Responsibility for the implementation of the recommendations and the tasks lies with Fáilte Ireland and the industry itself. Responsibility for the regulation of registered tourist...

Written Answers — Rail Network: Rail Network (14 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: The issue raised is a matter for Iarnród Éireann. I have referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please inform my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (14 Mar 2012)

Leo Varadkar: Under the 2007-2013 Border Midlands and Western Regional Authority (BMW) Operational Programme of the European Regional Development Fund only 2 roads projects qualified for funding. These are the M6 Athlone – Ballinasloe motorway and N52 Tullamore bypass. As the funding for these projects was channelled through the NRA, I have referred your question to them for direct response. If you do...