Results 8,141-8,160 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Road Network. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I would not disagree with the Deputy that now is a key time for effecting road works. Between now and the middle of the summer is usually the best time of the year for this. The local authorities will know their final allocations and any changes to those allocations following the budget next Tuesday, so they will not have to wait too long. We are spending almost €2 billion on capital...

Road Network. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: If the local authorities are carrying out no work, then that is a cause for serious concern. They have already got——

Road Network. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: —— €126 million in allocations, of which €14 million has been drawn down until the end of March. I do not know what they are hoarding the money for if they are not doing anything.

Road Network. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: The €126 million should be enough to keep them going until after 7 April.

Public Transport. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: CIE derives the bulk of its revenue from fare income. The Exchequer subvention to CIE in respect of its public service obligation amounted to 27% of its operating costs in 2007 compared with 22% in 1997. This growth in the proportion of costs accounted for by the Exchequer subvention reflects increased Government support for the provision of more and better public transport services and the...

Public Transport. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I do not accept that there is logic in the Deputy's argument in respect of the introduction of competition. There in competition in the bus market. Anyone can apply for a licence for any route. There are specific issues and considerations related to the issuing of a licence, but anyone may compete. Also, with the new directive in place from December of this year, there must be open...

Public Transport. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Over the past number of years, my predecessors and I have increased the subsidy substantially. It is not my business to get passengers for Bus Átha Cliath or Bus Éireann. That is a matter for the companies.

Public Transport. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I regulate a small proportion of the——

Public Transport. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: No.

Public Transport. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I do not regulate all of the fares, as only a small proportion is approved by the Minister.

Public Transport. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: All of the promotional fares are a matter on which the companies decide and over which I have and seek no control. Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann are losing money because they are losing passengers.

Public Transport. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: There is not much point in running buses around the place just to have them running around.

Public Transport. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Some 1.7 million people live in the greater Dublin area. It is a large market. If Dublin Bus management and unions get on with the job of reforming and putting networks, automatic vehicle location systems and so on in place, there will be a bright future.

State Airports. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Last December, I announced the deferral until 2011 of a decision on the separation of the three State airports under the State Airports Act 2004, given the difficulties in the aviation market. Up to that time, the boards of Cork and Shannon airports were required to finalise business plans for eventual separation for approval by both the Ministers for Transport and Finance. This...

State Airports. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I will get the information for the Deputy. I do not have it to hand, but I will request it from the airports.

State Airports. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Regarding the second part of the Deputy's question, I agreed to the deferral of the separation following a request from the three airport authorities. They believed that separating at this time would be serious, an assessment with which I agreed. Had we gone ahead with it in the current climate, the costs involved would have been more serious.

State Airports. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I do not have that information to hand, but I will try to get it for the Deputy if he tables a parliamentary question. If the terminal 2 and runway developments at Dublin Airport had gone ahead during the height of the building boom, the debt would have reached approximately €1.2 billion. Obviously, it would not reach that high now.

State Airports. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: The debt is financed in a simple and straightforward manner. It is financed by income to the DAA from all of its air and terminal activities. I will get the specific details on the debts.

State Airports. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I do not accept Deputy Broughan's premise, which is the opposite to that of Deputy O'Dowd, that the idea of the separation of the airports was madness or anything like it. It is easy for Deputy Broughan, whose constituency is close to Dublin Airport, to make such statements but people in Cork and in Shannon——

State Airports. (2 Apr 2009)

Noel Dempsey: ——had a distinct feeling that Aer Rianta and the Dublin Airport Authority — I do not comment on whether such a perception was true——