Results 8,461-8,480 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I will answer the question on the OCI. The latter runs its own selection process. I have no reason for believing that it is doing anything of which we would disapprove. People must be remember that it is an independent body. Just because we give it a small amount of funds does not mean that we can control everything it does.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: That is fair enough. I do not know but I will ask someone to find out and inform the Deputy of the position, particularly as there is unease.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: Even though it is an independent body, I think it is fair enough that we should know.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: Yes, absolutely. I have no hesitation whatsoever about doing that. The Deputy asked whether the investigation is statutory or non-statutory. We decided that it should be non-statutory. That was really because there was going to be co-operation among the key players. I assume that has happened. If there was any reluctance for them to come forward we left it open to the judge to make the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: The Deputy asked several questions. I will take a couple of them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I will try to respond very quickly. In terms of legal fees for Dublin Waterworld, I wrote a letter to Kieran Mulvey, chairman of Sport Ireland, saying that we would not pay any more in legal costs. We paid an enormous amount in legal fees and we have reached our limit. We put it to Sport Ireland that we will not pay that extra €1 million. The Deputy said there are two vacancies...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: The money was provided in respect of the Rio Olympics last year but Sport Ireland still has it. What we have said is that if there are any outstanding fees - I think there are - we will not pay them. If there is a bill for another €1 million, it will not come out of our allocation and Sport Ireland will be on its own in that regard. There are two vacancies on the board of Sport...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: It will be how ever long it takes under the Public Appointments Service, PAS, system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: The timeframe will be slightly longer because those who are selected under the PAS system will have to undergo interviews as well. It will be the first time interviews have been a part of the process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: Is the Deputy asking when the candidates will be selected?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I do not know exactly but it will be as soon as possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I must be careful in what I say here because of the ongoing inquiry. The code of governance we set up was in direct response to that. The Moran inquiry was set up on top of that, and I am choosing my words very carefully here, in response to the issues raised by the Deputy. One of the reasons it was set up was the situation where one person appeared at the time to exert too much influence....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I think the Deputy is right. All sporting organisations of that sort, specifically those that get Government funding and that have such a large public following, should have independent directors on their boards. This is certainly something that ought to happen.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: We can put some pressure on them because they get Government funding.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I will look at the details of it and consider it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: The matter should have been addressed at this committee last week if it had not been previously addressed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank the committee for inviting me today to discuss the situation at Bus Éireann. I do not for one minute underestimate the challenge facing Bus Éireann and I know this committee, irrespective of differing perspectives, does not either. It is unfortunate that these difficult issues have arisen on the 30th anniversary of the company's establishment in 1987 but in some ways that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I shall take that question straightaway. Obviously, the service has accounted for most of the losses of Bus Éireann. The turnaround in the fortunes of Expressway has been very sudden and critical. Was the Deputy asking whether Bus Éireann would be able to operate without it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: It is not for me to dictate who is doing a bad job at this stage.