Results 9,481-9,500 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Regional Airports (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: Recent discussions with the management of Ireland West Airport Knock (IWAK) have taken place through the Study Group, which comprises a broad range of parties interested in the development of the Airport and was established, under the Chairmanship of Deputy John O'Mahony, following a meeting of the Airport Board with the Taoiseach, Minister of State Ring and myself.   The Group...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Policy (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: The Tourism Policy Review is designed to look at all aspects of Irish tourism and the issues paper that Minister Ring and I launched on 11 September has a specific section dealing with product development. I am inviting all stakeholders to make their views on the issues known to my Department.  The level of interest has been such that I have extended the deadline for receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driving Licence Issues (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: The following tabular statement provides details of the number of driving licences broken down by licence type issued by each Local Authority in 2012. Type of Licence Local Authority Driving Licence  Learner Permit Total County Councils  -  -  - CARLOW 5,775 2,748 8,523 CAVAN 7,697 3,169 10,866 CLARE 13,795 4,501 18,296 CORK 57,710 20,718 78,428 DONEGAL 17,176...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Services (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: The issue raised is a matter for Irish Rail and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply from the company within ten working days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driving Licence Issues (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: Following a competitive procurement process, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) awarded a contract for the operation of front office customer services in relation to the National Driver Licensing Service (NDLS) to SGS (Ireland) Ltd. On of 29th October 2013, the service will operate from 34 full-time centres and 2 part-time offices around the country. The list of public office...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.  Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for the NRA in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: The Gathering Events (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 235 together.   The Gathering Ireland 2013 aimed primarily to generate additional tourist numbers and revenue in 2013.  However, it also aimed to have a longer-term impact.  We set a target of 325,000 visitors and we are well on the way to meeting that, but The Gathering was never just about visitor numbers and revenues.  It...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Policy (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: While my Department provides capital funding for investment in tourism product development through Fáilte Ireland, it is not directly involved in the development and promotion of tourist attractions. However, I am informed that the board of Fáilte Ireland recently approved a grant of €2,500,000 to Cork County Council for the development of the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Capital Investment Programme (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: I was pleased to welcome the announcement in Budget 2014 of an additional €8 million in capital investment for the Wild Atlantic Way. The Wild Atlantic Way is set to be Ireland's first long-distance touring route, stretching along the Atlantic coast from Donegal to West Cork. It is planned to develop it into an attraction of international scale, on a par with...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Travel Tax Abolition (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 232 and 255 together. The zero rate travel tax initiative is part of a process aimed at generating new airline routes into Ireland and will come into effect from April 2014. There has been a positive response to the initiative from airlines so far with Ryanair and Aer Lingus Regional both announcing details of new routes and...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: VAT Rate Reductions (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: I strongly supported the continuation of the 9% VAT rate on the basis that the initiative had proved to be a major success, improving the competitiveness of the tourism industry, helping to create thousands of new jobs and contributing to the growth in overseas visitors and revenue. The continuation of the reduced rate is recognition by the Government of the importance of the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Industry Issues (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: Tourism performance for the year to date has been very positive. The most recent published figures from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, show that there were over 5.4 million overseas visits to Ireland in the nine month period between January and September 2013 representing a 6.4% increase on the corresponding period of 2012. All of our main target overseas markets show growth levels...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Policy (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: The Tourism Policy Review was formally launched by Minister Ring and me on 11 September in Dublin Castle. Over 90 individuals from representative bodies, key stakeholders and academia attended the event which marked the publication of a consultation document, raising a series of questions regarding policy priorities for Irish tourism and inviting everybody with an interest...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Ports Development (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: One of the principal recommendations of National Ports Policy which will require legislative amendments is the proposed transfer of control of the Ports of Regional Significance to local authority control. In August my Department published a Regulatory Impact Analysis type consultation document regarding these proposed amendments to the Harbours Acts. The consultation period has now...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Services Provision (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: Cork and Dublin Airports are owned and managed by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), operating under a commercial mandate.  As such, the business of working to increase passenger numbers at Cork Airport is a matter for DAA and Cork Airport management and it is not something in which I have a direct role.    I should say however, that the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driving Licence Applications (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: The operation of the National Driver Licensing Service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority (RSA).  I have therefore forwarded this request to the RSA for direct reply, and I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Job Creation (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: I have received a paper from the IHF entitled "Job Creation and Training in the Hospitality Industry" which sets out the IHF's concerns in relation to training and skills in the Irish Hotel sector. I am also aware that the National Skills Bulletin published in June this year noted that Ireland as a whole has an excess labour supply overall with a low magnitude of skills shortages in some...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Haulage Industry Cabotage Regulations (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: Provisions in relation to road haulage cabotage are set out in EU Regulation 1072 of 2009, which came into effect on 14 May 2010.  Cabotage refers to haulage for hire or reward within a host Member State carried out on a temporary basis by a non-resident operator.  The EU Regulation defines the specific limitations of cabotage, that is, when goods carried in the course of an inbound...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Issues (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: Statutory Instrument 366 of 2008 - Road Traffic (Construction and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 2008 sets the maximum height limit of vehicles in this country at 4.65 metres. The derogation was introduced to allow a five-year period within which vehicles operating at heights in excess of the new limits could be withdrawn from use in Ireland or to allow for the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects Status (7 Nov 2013)

Leo Varadkar: The planning, design and implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.    Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for the NRA in accordance with Section 19 of...