Results 961-980 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — US Immigration Procedures: US Immigration Procedures (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: My Department and the US authorities have been in contact about this matter. My Department has also sought the advice of the Attorney General's office in regard to the additional procedures which are required by the US Government for entry by all visitors to the US since 30 September last and which are implemented by the US immigration authorities at the pre-clearance facilities at Dublin and...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: The planning, design and implementation of national road improvement projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority, NRA, and the relevant local authority. The Government, at its meeting on 10 February 2004, noted the current position relating to the upgrade of the M50. The estimated cost of the upgrade at that time was €590 million in 2002 prices.

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Question Nos. 155 and 186 together. The average waiting times and numbers waiting for a driving test as at 28 October 2004 are set out in the following table. Details of those applicants who are taking their driving test for the first time are not recorded at application stage. My Department is in communication with the Department of Finance regarding measures to reduce the...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 156, 368 and 369 together. The Garda Síochána is the responsible authority for the location of bus stops in Dublin. This power is vested in the Garda Commissioner under section 85 of the Road Traffic Act 1961. Under that section the commissioner may issue a direction to a bus operator identifying the specific location of bus stops in respect of any bus...

Written Answers — Air Transport Agreement: Air Transport Agreement (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 157, 166 and 191 together. At a number of recent Transport Councils, the Irish position has been that while we are in favour of an open skies agreement between the EU and the US, Ireland's support would be contingent on an acceptable arrangement on Shannon being agreed between Ireland and the US, and that arrangement being reflected in the EU-US agreement....

Written Answers — Taxi Regulations: Taxi Regulations (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: By letter dated 24 February 2004 the advisory council to the Commission for Taxi Regulation provided advice to my predecessor, the then Minister, Deputy Brennan, on a number of matters relevant to small public service vehicles and their drivers. The council recommended the removal of the exemption on the wearing of seat belts by the drivers of small public service vehicles, the early...

Written Answers — Railway Stations: Railway Stations (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: Iarnród Éireann recently submitted to my Department a strategy document that sets out the business case for the development of a greater Dublin integrated rail network over the medium term. The strategy refers to the necessity to expand network capacity in and around Connolly Station by improving signalling capacity, platform capacity and constructing a new station in the area. The...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: The Government is committed to reform of public transport. A considerable amount of work on the detailed technical aspects of the restructuring of CIE has taken place in my Department and this work is ongoing. I am reviewing this work, as well as consulting with stakeholders. When I have completed that review and my consultations with key stakeholders I will consider how to proceed generally...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: I have no proposals to increase the driving test fee at this time.

Written Answers — Airport Landing Facilities: Airport Landing Facilities (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: Civilian air carriers carrying weapons or munitions wishing to land or over-fly Irish airspace are obliged to seek exemption from the provisions of sections 6 and 7 of the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973. This order applies only to the carriage of munitions of war, weapons and dangerous goods and not to military personnel. There is no...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: Where a person either pays a fixed charge for a road traffic offence or is convicted of a penalty point offence in court, data necessary to ensure that penalty points are endorsed in the person's licence record must be forwarded to my Department by the Garda or the Courts Service, respectively. The average period between receipt of such notifications by the company that is engaged to process...

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: I understand from the Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, that it is carrying out a "look-back study" of Luas to see what lessons can be learned from implementation of the red and green lines. A review of costs, procurement and decision-making is under way at present and a retrospective cost-benefit analysis and environmental impact assessment will be carried out early next year after both lines...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: The primary target of the new Government strategy on road safety is to realise a 25% reduction in road collision fatalities by the end of 2006 over the average annual number of fatalities in the 1998-2003 period. Achievement of the target will result in no more than 300 deaths per annum by the end of the period of the strategy. The strategy proposes a range of measures in the enforcement,...

Written Answers — Road Accidents: Road Accidents (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: The primary immediate investigative role in relation to road accidents is vested in the Garda Síochána. Priority in the pursuit of such an investigation must be given to the determination of the causes of road accidents and in particular to the determination of whether a breach of the road traffic laws contributed to the occurrence. The Garda Síochána is the only body empowered to make...

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 172, 179 and 372 together. It is the policy of the Government to encourage as wide a range as possible of reliable, regular and competitive air services to and from Ireland. The central tenet of this policy is the belief that a strong, competitive and efficient network of air links are vitally important for developing our trade and tourism sectors,...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: Between 1998, the first full year of the operation of the Government Road Safety Strategy 1998 — 2002, and 2004, there have been significant and sustained increases in the funding made available to the road safety agencies under the aegis of my Department. Overall funding has grown from a total of €11.372 million in 1998 to €22.488 million in 2004, a rise of 97.7%. The funding made...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: EU Directive 2000/56 amends Annex 1 and Annex 2 of Council Directive 91/439 on driving licences by substituting some additional requirements and was to be implemented by 30 September 2003. The revised Annex 1 relates to some additional harmonised information codes on a driving licence which indicate restrictions on the type of vehicle to be used in certain circumstances, for example,...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: The authorised complement of driver testing staff in my Department is 130 which includes supervisory-management grades and both permanent and contract staff. My Department is in discussions with the Department of Finance with a view to filling eight existing vacancies in this area definitively. I am confident that these discussions will conclude satisfactorily before the end of the year....

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: In the context of its decentralisation implementation plan, prepared in accordance with Department of Finance requirements, the NRA has indicated significant concerns about the impact of decentralisation to Ballinasloe, County Galway, on its ability to deliver the national roads programme. These concerns will be taken into account and addressed in the ongoing implementation of the...

Written Answers — Air Services: Air Services (2 Nov 2004)

Martin Cullen: Aer Lingus is mandated by my Department to operate in a commercial manner. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the board and management to operate the airline so that it can compete successfully and generate profits in this very difficult sector. It is my strong view that maintaining a strong, commercially successful airline is the best way of ensuring that Aer Lingus continues to meet...