Results 9,581-9,600 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Harbour Authorities. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: I am aware of all of the matters the Deputy has adverted to, including the newspaper reports and other information the Deputy has, apart from the latter one. All of this went to the bodies that should investigate if there is wrongdoing, including, first, the board itself. We have had a newly constituted board since September 2008. The issues of alleged fraud and anything else are matters...

Harbour Authorities. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: As I have already informed the Deputy, I brought all the allegations I received on the matter, which are in the public domain and which the Deputy is repeating, to the attention of both the Garda and the Directorate of Corporate Enforcement. The Criminal Assets Bureau is a unit of the Garda and it is free to investigate the matter if it feels there is a case to investigate. Regarding the...

Harbour Authorities. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: Regarding what is blacked out, under the Freedom of Information on each one of those, I had no hand, act or part in deciding what went back to the Deputy. Regarding the freedom-----

Harbour Authorities. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: Regarding this file, the parts that are blacked out are blacked out in accordance with the laws of the land and I had no hand, act or part in that.

Road Network. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is a statutory function of each road authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. I have asked local authorities to provide details of exceptional road-related costs associated with the recent flooding and prolonged severe weather, which fall outside the normal financial provision for winter...

Road Network. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: We asked the local authorities to do this immediately after the end of the severe weather spell and most of them, although not all, have submitted estimates of the damage. We are working on the basis that they have done some type of audit themselves of the roads to arrive at the estimates they have given us. We will work on that basis. I cannot accept that the local authorities are in the...

Road Network. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: I do not recall them saying that. If they were in the dark they would not have been able to produce the type of figures they have come up with which are-----

Road Network. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: The figures are obviously based, in most cases, on some semblance of audit and reality. That gives us a good basis for clarifying the situation relative to the €1 billion that was being touted by an economist on the radio some months back. I hope his economic statistics are more accurate that his roads' figures. We normally give the local authorities permission to spend the equivalent of...

Road Network. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: I am always flattered by Deputy Broughan at Question Time. I seem to be Minister for everything, according to him.

Road Network. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: I thought he was trying to give that title to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley.

Road Network. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: The roads funding allocations will be done within the next two weeks with the local authorities. We want to leave matters as flexible as possible for the local authorities and we are trying to do this with the allocations. In relation to clearing footpaths, local authorities do not need protocols from me or anybody else in that regard because that is their responsibility.

Road Network. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: They all know the situation that arose is being looked at by the local authorities. As regards the national emergency element of the Deputy's question, there are very clear guidelines in relation to what has to happen and who is responsible in the national emergency plan.

Road Network. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads is a matter for the National Roads Authority. Approximately €1.115 billion will be spent by the NRA on national roads in 2010 and the allocations to local authorities were recently published. The improvement and maintenance of...

Road Network. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: I will be providing almost €412 million to the local authorities for their roads programme. I will also be giving them the flexibility to prioritise the roads that have been damaged. We will not stick to the normal 13 or 14 headings in the funding. Now that the local authorities have identified the roads that are damaged, we will ask them to prioritise and repair them. This could mean...

Road Network. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: They way in which they go about this work is entirely up to the local authorities. The grants we give are to supplement the local authority grants. The local authorities should make the best possible use of the money, whatever that may be. I do not intend to start micro-managing them. There is a need to focus on the damaged roads which must be improved and which are important for economic...

Road Signage. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: The European Transport Safety Council's document of January 2010 referred to by the Deputy is being examined in my Department. Statutory responsibility for the application of special speed limits through the making of special speed limit by-laws is vested in the elected members of county councils and city councils. In 2005 statutory guidance was issued to local authorities on the setting of...

Road Signage. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: I agree with the Deputy that speed remains a major problem in respect of road safety. It continues to contribute to an unacceptable level of deaths and accidents on the roads. The faster people go, the more damage is done, whether in the level of fatalities or serious injuries. I strongly support and endorse what the Deputy has stated in respect of tackling speed and the need to ensure...

Road Signage. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: I would support anything that would help to reduce the level of speeding on the road. I am unsure why there are not more speed limits painted onto the roads. It may be that it is not regarded as effective or whatever but it is a matter I can raise with the RSA. I am supportive of anything that would make people more conscious of their speed or that would encourage them to reduce it,...

Departmental Bodies. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: In the case of commercial State bodies, the salary scales of chief executives are reviewed from time to time by the Minister for Finance and based on comparisons with posts in the private sector. Salary ranges recommended through this system, known as the Hay rates, were last approved by Government in 2007, with a further general sanction by the Department of Finance for revised pay ranges...

Departmental Bodies. (10 Feb 2010)

Noel Dempsey: A balance must be struck. While the salaries of public representatives and their actions are open to scrutiny, I wonder whether prurient interest in what a fellow is earning because he happens to be in a port company is desirable.