Results 9,281-9,300 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Priority Questions: Bus Éireann (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: If I could, without interruption, Deputy Troy, please.

Priority Questions: Bus Éireann (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: Once the dispute is ended, I will be very happy to engage in talks with any of the stakeholders involved to discuss the very issues the Deputy wants me to discuss, but not before that and not under the threat of industrial action. On the reckless trading issue, I am absolutely assured, not just by its public statements but by my conversations with it, that the company is very conscious of...

Priority Questions: Railway Stations (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: ​The Deputy is presumably aware that issues such as staffing levels at train stations are operational matters for Iarnród Éireann and are not matters in respect of which I have any statutory function. I am, however, informed by Iarnród Éireann that it has not introduced staffing changes at DART stations but that the issue of station staffing is under review in...

Priority Questions: Railway Stations (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett. I did not read word for word from David Franks's letter. I have not seen David Franks's letter, so, wrong.

Priority Questions: Railway Stations (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: Yes, but I did not read word for word from it.

Priority Questions: Railway Stations (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: I have not seen it-----

Priority Questions: Railway Stations (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: -----and seeing as some of it came out my own head it is unlikely. Perhaps some of it is stuff which has come from inquiries to the company and I accept that.

Priority Questions: Railway Stations (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: I wish to make the Deputy an offer. If he has evidence of these things happening in those stations and if he has not received a satisfactory response to representations which, presumably, he has made about all of those incidents he mentioned, I would be more than happy, in the name of natural and human justice, to make representations as well to Iarnród Éireann and anybody else and...

Priority Questions: Railway Stations (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: I will reiterate what I presume is an offer which the Deputy will take up.

Priority Questions: Railway Stations (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: It is an offer which the Deputy will take up. Provide me with the facts, with the incidents and I will make representations and see how this gels with the statement that we should not introduce staffing changes at DART stations. That is important. I have to respond to it in a necessary way if it is having resultant effects and consequences, as the Deputy outlined. I have no hesitation...

Priority Questions: Railway Stations (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: -----and situations where disabled people or people who are immobilised in other ways are not being properly protected or looked after, that is a matter which I will address in a general way. Please do not ask me to address individual stations. That is not a ministerial job. That is a job for the DART.

Priority Questions: Aviation Issues (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank the Deputy for her question on behalf of the residents and the forum group. I wish to ensure that there are robust consultation requirements with all key stakeholders, including local residents, as I have indicated previously. As I mentioned in my response to Priority Question No. 1, officials in my Department are currently finalising the legislation to give full effect to...

Priority Questions: Aviation Issues (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: We are on the same page to some extent. I gave an answer about the statutory instrument or primary legislation to Deputy Robert Troy and I think Deputy Daly had just not arrived yet. That will be decided very shortly. It has taken longer than I expected and I have apologised to the House already about this. It is very complicated. It is a matter of competing legislation and it is with...

Priority Questions: Aviation Issues (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: I agree that the delay is far too long. The House will understand, however, that it would be worse to bring forward flawed legislation which could be challenged. Deputies Daly and Troy would be the first to say that such legislation had been rushed, so it is difficult. As regards bringing people into the consultation process on the noise factor, there is a constant difficulty when one...

Other Questions: Coast Guard Services (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: On my own behalf and that of my Department, I would like again to express our deepest condolences and sincere sympathies to all those affected by the recent tragedy, particularly to the family members of the crew of Rescue 116 and also to thank all those individuals and organisations who have been so generous in giving their time and resources to support the search effort. The full resources...

Other Questions: Coast Guard Services (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: I am a bit at a loss. What the Deputy has said leaves me unconvinced about legislating for a voluntary group. The tributes which we have all paid to the Coast Guard in the last few days have all been deserved and indicate the great respect in which it is held but the fact is the Coast Guard is working. The vast majority of the Coast Guard comprises volunteers, to whom we should all be...

Other Questions: Coast Guard Services (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: In response to what Deputies Troy and Munster have said, I am certainly not going to refuse to meet anybody. It is not in my nature. I think both of the Deputies will know that from being in this House. I will be delighted to meet anybody who requests a meeting on reasonable grounds. Certainly if there are representatives of the Coast Guard who are unhappy with their situation I would be...

Other Questions: Bus Éireann (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: In recent months I have taken action on a number of fronts in order to address issues raised by stakeholders in Bus Éireann. I have increased the amount of public service obligation, PSO, funding so that in 2017 almost €263 million will be provided to the NTA to allocate to public transport operators. That figure represents an 11% increase on 2016, and I have publicly committed...

Other Questions: Bus Éireann (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: The figures for 2017 will be decided at a later date. In respect of the figures for 2016, a total of €9.4 million, we have not seen the accounts because they will not be published until such time as they are ready. The Deputy can be certain that the figures are very high, and completely and utterly unacceptable. As Deputy Troy said, the figures are verging on reckless trading....

Other Questions: Bus Éireann (22 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: If the management puts figures of that sort into the public arena, I have to accept them and take them seriously. However, I will not announce profit or loss figures for a semi-State company before they are published. That would be absurd. The figures will be published in due course in the annual report. For me to pre-empt that would be absurd. Despite the fact the Opposition wants to...