Results 7,501-7,520 of 28,162 for speaker:Catherine Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Data (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: 138. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who are in receipt of the free travel scheme that are under and over 66 years of age respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8913/17]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Data (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: 139. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of private bus transport companies which have opted into the free travel scheme; and if he will provide a list of those companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8915/17]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme Data (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: 140. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if the frequency of use or non-use by persons in receipt of the free travel scheme is recorded or audited; the number of persons using the free travel scheme on private bus transport companies; the number of persons using the free travel scheme on public bus and other transport services; his plans to make changes to the scheme based on results of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: 141. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the steps he has taken to protect the all Ireland free travel scheme that allows a cardholder to travel free of charge on all bus and rail services within Northern Ireland using a senior smartpass card (details supplied) in view of Brexit and the triggering of Article 50; if he and or his officials have met with Northern Irish counterparts on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: I suspect some of the questions are being directed to the wrong person, that a political decision has been taken in this regard and that the NTA operates according to the legislation to which Ms Graham has just referred. Therefore, it is the political decision that underpins and is the real driver of the NTA's operations, and the NTA just implements the measures in the legislation. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: Could we have a copy of the analysis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: There are historical contractual obligations relating to the likes of Bus Éireann. In conducting the risk analysis, would the NTA have been comparing like with like in terms of the rates of pay and conditions and so on? Were these elements factored into the analysis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: This could be taken as a decision to reduce, in the medium term, terms and conditions, rates of pay-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: That is not the case if the company has historical contracts.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: Three routes are threatened with withdrawal, and there is a possible insolvency issue if the board of Bus Éireann cannot sign off on the company's accounts. If there is to be a loss of service, we are into insolvency territory and the State will have to intervene because people cannot be left without services. Has there been any quantification of the costs in this regard? Is it down...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: Those services therefore might not be comparable. They could be reduced services.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: That depends on the level of current use.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: We are hearing that the free travel pass is secure, but will it be secure in cases in which there is, say, a withdrawal of a service or a reduced service and in which somebody does not have access to the service? If that is the case, the person with the free travel pass will carry 100% of the cost of the service.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: This sounds like the argument made by some of the unions that they are essentially being asked to agree to reduced wages and conditions to make viable the services that will probably end up as PSO services - at least, some of them will - and be carried by the State and possibly a private contractor. Is there an unfairness to this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: We need to talk to the shareholder, therefore, rather than the company directly. I presume the Minister will have the relevant information on the individual services. I presume information on the Bus Éireann services that are under threat was provided to the Minister.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: Right, okay.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Controls (23 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: 5. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will include Maynooth as a designated rent pressure zone in view of the fact that Maynooth has the same average rents and the exact same percentage increase on the average national rent as Leixlip and Celbridge; his views on the fact that commuter towns in County Kildare face every bit as much pressure as...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Controls (23 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: Maynooth is the focus of this question but it could apply equally to several locations in north Kildare, Kildare or other parts of the country. It is under the same pressure and has the same rent profile as Leixlip and Celbridge, for example, both of which are included. The fall-out from it has been almost immediate. It is as though landlords take it as almost a requirement to get their...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Controls (23 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: If the Minister asks his party colleague from the Kildare North constituency about his experience of people raising the issues in the rental sector in Maynooth - I assume they are not all coming to me - he will confirm that the reality in the town is as I have described. The new arrangements are having the effect I would have predicted. The process used to select specific areas is flawed....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rent Controls (23 Feb 2017)

Catherine Murphy: The presence of people working for multinationals is also adding to the pressures in Maynooth. When people are paying rents that are not as high as the market rate in the area, the immediate reaction is to give people notice of significant rent increases to bring them up to the market level. I will pass the details of such cases to the Minister.