Results 7,521-7,540 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Fuel Prices. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: However, neither I nor the Government controls the price of oil. That is true for Governments throughout the world.

Road Network. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in respect of the national roads programme element of Transport 21. The implementation of individual national road projects and the allocation of funding to those projects, including barrier-free tolling on the M50, is a matter for the National Roads Authority, NRA, in conjunction with the relevant local...

Road Network. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: When problems arose with the operation of the system and when some of the difficulties were highlighted here and in other places, I took the matter up, through the officials in the Department, with the NRA. The NRA admitted there were difficulties but to be fair to the authority, it had made it clear initially that there would be teething problems with the system, and that was the case....

Road Network. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I will raise the difficulty the Deputy mentioned with the NRA for him. Specific difficulties can be taken up directly with the NRA.

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: CIE and its subsidiary companies have a broad statutory mandate under the Transport Acts of 1958 and 1986 to provide a range of loss making but socially and economically necessary public service obligation, PSO, services. The compensation paid by the Exchequer to CIE in respect of these PSO services, €308.6 million in 2008, is administered through annual memoranda of understanding on...

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I agree with the Deputy, and I have made it clear since I took office, that any anti-competitive behaviour by Dublin Bus or Bus Éireann will be investigated and followed up by me. We have lived by that rule. I do not wish to comment specifically on any case because most of them are ongoing at present. However, I can assure the Deputy that where there is a PSO an audit is carried out on it.

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I do not think there is a difficulty with that; I will check for the Deputy and try to get that information to him.

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I look forward to the Deputy's support for the legislation. I am not sure if he is advocating that the legislation should open up the Dublin bus market and other bus markets to everybody. That has not been——

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: ——the case up to now; there has not been open competition. The Dublin Transport Authority Act allows for competition on any new PSO routes in the future. From 1 December next year, new PSO routes will be open to competition from the private sector as well as from Bus Éireann and Bus Átha Cliath. The legislation the Deputy asked about is the reform of the 1932 Act. The heads of the...

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I do not wish to repeat myself every time I answer questions in the House but, as the Deputy is aware, I am keen to table the necessary legislation. We introduced part of the required legislation, namely, the Dublin Transport Authority Bill 2008, with the co-operation of Opposition Members including Deputy Broughan. We are now concentrating on amending the Road Transport Act 1932 as quickly...

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: The Minister has powers, which I used as recently as today, to direct Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann or any public company to desist from acting in a manner I regard as outside the terms of the licence.

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I can impose a sanction by way of a reduction in the company's subvention and I intend to do that.

Dublin Transport Authority. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I intend to establish the Dublin Transport Authority as early as possible in 2009 once I am satisfied it has the financial and staffing resources necessary to enable it effectively discharge the functions assigned to it by the Oireachtas under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008. Discussions are taking place between my Department and the Department of Finance on the financing and staffing...

Dublin Transport Authority. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: The Department of Transport will not conduct the search for the chief executive, it will be a matter for the Public Appointments Service. I have instructed officials in my Department to seek the best person for the job and to spread the net as wide as possible to recruit the very best person. The salary range for the post is governed by the scales set by the Review Body on Higher...

Dublin Transport Authority. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I do not wish to be held to a figure, but I estimate some 100 staff will be involved.

Dublin Transport Authority. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I forgot to mention absorption of the Taxi Regulator into the new authority. During the debate on the DTA Bill, Deputy O'Dowd suggested the remit of the new authority should be extended. I have considered the matter and although initially I intended to proceed in three stages, namely, to introduce the DTA Bill, to amend the 1932 Act and then provide for a national regulator, I now intend to...

Dublin Transport Authority. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: It will be the national transport authority. Regarding the newspaper report, I do not know what qualifications the newspaper editorial writer can call on to tell me to buy more buses——

Dublin Transport Authority. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I have always maintained that we must ensure we use the existing fleet efficiently. In the coming weeks I hope to find out whether this is the case.

Dublin Transport Authority. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: The question is whether the DTA will have powers to examine this matter and the answer is "Yes".

Taxi Regulations. (12 Nov 2008)

Noel Dempsey: As mentioned in the reply to the parliamentary question to which the Deputy refers, my Department has been in discussion with the Commission for Taxi Regulation about a subsidy scheme to assist with the purchase of accessible vehicles over a five-year period that will meet the new accessible vehicle specification developed by the commission. A number of options for the delivery of additional...