Results 10,161-10,180 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: When one travels on the Continent one can stand in the wheelchair space.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: So what is the problem with taking those seats out and if there is nobody in a wheelchair then people can stand in the space?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: Would it get over the problem if there is X sq. m for standing passengers or a wheelchair and priority is given to wheelchair users?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: When we go on holidays we use public transport. Years ago the buses in this city were all seated accommodation but mostly, everybody stands elsewhere. That is what is happening in Nice in France. Is that the way we should be going here?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: I will put the question in a different way. Could the service providers come back with what is the best practice elsewhere because this is not just an issue in this country, it is the same in many countries? From what I could see in France the trend is to make more space for standing, buggies and wheelchairs.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: I accept that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: I think it is a problem everywhere.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: We have had a very important discussion today and I thank our witnesses for their knowledge and giving us their time. I have questions, mainly in relation to unmanned Dart stations and so on. I appreciate the point about the new dedicated hub, where one can telephone a number when one is within two stops of a station and seek assistance. The Irish Rail submission says the number of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: So if I go to a particular point in my wheelchair I cannot get on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: If I am in an accessible station, but it is unmanned, will Irish Rail increase the number of unmanned stations?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: This guy is two stations away. He comes on the train.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: And the person will be waiting at a particular point?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: In the case where multiple users come along at the one time, what happens there?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is one of the key points that was made earlier. Before we finish, the committee wants to produce a report that makes sense. Getting the service providers' buy-in and their ideas and issues in that is very important. The groups have expressed their views today. The matter of audits was raised earlier by Deputy Murphy but what about an audit of services? Do the providers have an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: Is that a public document?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: Will Mr. Meade send it to us because we want to build on Irish Rail's experience and how it perceives the needs identified and obviously how public funds should be used to meet them. That is about as far as we can go. We have recommendations which came to us through the users' groups. The delegates probably have a copy of them. I hope that before we finalise our report, they will have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: I have experience of seeing 30 people on a bus with only ten seats. It was in a city environment in which the maximum journey time was about an hour. If the delegates have ideas, they should send them to us and we will be happy to take them on board.

Topical Issue Debate: Respite Care Services Provision (18 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this important issue. It is at least the third time he has allowed this issue to be discussed. Progress has been made but we are at an impasse. Listeners to "Morning Ireland" earlier heard a mother, Jacinta, whose son, Sam, has met the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health. The Minister of State at the Department, Deputy Finian...

Topical Issue Debate: Respite Care Services Provision (18 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I accept and acknowledge she is blameless in this matter and this is not her area of accountability. However, my views have not changed. This is departmental gobbledygook and it is unacceptable. While I am not being pejorative towards the Minister of State, whom I respect, I reject the rubbish she has been given to read out, which suggests I...

Topical Issue Debate: Respite Care Services Provision (18 Jan 2018)

Fergus O'Dowd: I accept that.