Results 8,741-8,760 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Public Transport. (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: In recent years, private bus operators have shown a much stronger interest in the provision of bus services and are now well established in parts of the national bus market. They compete with Bus Éireann on most of the major national routes in and out of Dublin and provide some limited services within the Dublin metropolitan area. The provision of public bus services on specific routes or...

Public Transport. (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I am not aware of any such approaches being made. However, there are a couple of companies which operate in Ireland, the parent companies of which are located abroad. One of the latter has its headquarters in Singapore. I met representatives of that company when I visited Singapore, either last year or the year before, to examine its transport system. I am not aware of any formal...

Public Transport. (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Approximately 600 licences are on issue in respect of public bus passenger services being provided by private bus operators throughout the country. In the first half of this year there has been an increase of over 40% in the number of applications. The total number of applications received for the first six months of 2009 was 152. Applications for annual passenger licences during that...

Public Transport. (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Yes. In addition, difficulties continue to arise in cases where State bus companies or private operators make prior applications. In such circumstances, one application must be processed before the other. Of the 336 cases received up to 7 July of this year, 72% have been processed, that is, an offer has been made to the relevant operator.

Public Transport. (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: The matter to which the Deputy refers is extremely specific in nature. If he tables a parliamentary question in respect of it, I will endeavour to obtain the information he requires. If it took two years to process the application - I have no reason to doubt the veracity of the Deputy's claims in that regard - then information must have been outstanding and this prevented the making of a...

Public Transport. (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Yes, I am sure there is one or more.

Public Transport. (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: The Deputy should drop a note to me and I will try to give him any information I can.

Public Transport. (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Public service contracts with the CIE companies are due to be in place by early December. My Department will consider the inclusion in those contracts of provisions relating to emission standards to be met by buses and rail rolling stock and the implementation of the recommendations of the Deloitte report relating to the bus companies. A number of initiatives have already been undertaken...

Public Transport. (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: My Department has asked CIE to have a blend of at least 5%.

Public Transport. (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Yes, that is what was originally proposed in the programme for Government. CIE purchases fuel for all three companies and its supplier has confirmed that in many cases, a 5% blend is applied by the fuel companies. In addition, both Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus have sought and received assurances that their new buses will be able to accommodate a 30% blend without affecting their warranty....

Public Transport. (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: It is quite to the contrary. The fact that Dublin Bus now operates with fewer buses than it used to recently-----

Public Transport. (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: The average age of the fleet has been improved-----

Public Transport. (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: -----and the company now has buses that are much more fuel-efficient. I will make one point in this regard. Costs must be taken into account and the cost of bio-fuel increased by 46% last year. This factor must be taken into account.

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Service changes are a day-to-day operational matter for Bus Éireann and not one in which I have any function. I have been briefed by Bus Éireann management on the deterioration in its financial position and on the measures necessary, including the scale and extent of service changes, to maintain its financial viability. I have also been briefed by the unions on the issues involved....

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 62 together. The Road Safety Strategy 2007-2012 was prepared by the Road Safety Authority, approved by the Government and launched in October 2007. Its overall objective, through a combination of education, enforcement and engineering actions, is to save lives and prevent serious injuries, thereby bringing Ireland in line with best practice countries in...

Written Answers — Airport Preclearance Facility: Airport Preclearance Facility (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 43 together. As Deputies will be aware the Aviation (Preclearance) Bill 2009 was passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas last week as is due to be signed into law by the President this week. My officials are working closely with the U.S. authorities on the final aspects of the operating procedures between the two administrations to ensure that...

Written Answers — Renewable Energy: Renewable Energy (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 18 together. A number of initiatives have taken place in relation to Iarnród Éireann, Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann to ensure more sustainable fleets in these organisations. Iarnród Éireann, for example, have in the past two years re-instated regenerative braking on all DART electrical fleets giving energy savings of 26%. Iarnród Éireann have also...

Written Answers — Integrated Ticketing: Integrated Ticketing (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: The integrated ticketing system in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) is being introduced on a phased basis, based on smartcard technology. A progressive approach is being adopted to allow customers to familiarise themselves with using the new system and to permit transport operators to undertake the necessary testing with the integration of the technologies involved. The project is now firmly in...

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: The status of the six hangars of SR Technics at Dublin Airport is an operational matter for the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) and as such I have no function in the matter. I understand that the DAA and SR Technics signed an agreement earlier in the year, whereby DAA bought back property leased by SR Technics at Dublin Airport, comprising six hangars and related ancillary facilities. I am...

Written Answers — Bus Licensing: Bus Licensing (9 Jul 2009)

Noel Dempsey: My Department is proceeding with preparations for the establishment of the Dublin Transport Authority (DTA) during 2009. A key part of those preparations is the recruitment of a Chief Executive Officer and the necessary recruitment process has now been concluded. I expect to be in a position to announce the outcome in the near future. In January 2009, the Government approved the General...