Results 10,421-10,440 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (27 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: ​Under the Fresh Start Agreement, the Northern Ireland Executive and the Government agreed to undertake a review of the proposed Narrow Water Bridge project with a view to identifying options for its future development, for consideration by the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC). Following on from consultation with stakeholders, I understand that an options paper is being...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Greenways Funding (27 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: ​Kerry County Council was awarded €345,000 by my Department under the Government Stimulus package 2014 to commence the Rock Street to Casement Station section of the Tralee to Fenit greenway, and this was paid. The Programme for Partnership Government commits to making additional funding available for greenways into the future, and I am pursuing this in the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (27 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: ​As the Deputy may be aware, a mid-term review of the Capital Plan is currently underway by Government to look at where capital investment priorities lie over the remaining 4 years of the current plan. I am engaged in making our cases to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for increased funding for a variety of important capital investments. I understand that all...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (27 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: ​The National Transport Authority (NTA) is responsible for the collection and publication of statistics relating to public transport and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Brexit Issues (27 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: The opening of negotiations with the UK regarding their exit from the EU commenced on the 19th of June. The Government has been clear that its approach is aimed at minimising the impact of Brexit on our trade and economy and an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU. The Government recognises that there is a desire to have clarity and certainty on every detail of the future EU-UK...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (27 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this very important subject. I am well aware of it thanks to him and others who are, obviously, adversely affected by this and I understand its importance to him and others, particularly in rural areas. I regret the fact that it was withdrawn. We would very much like to see it restored as soon as possible when financial constraints allow it. First, the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (27 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank the Senator. I am conscious of what he and others have said, but I am also conscious that it is included in the programme for Government, not as an absolute commitment but as an aspiration. There is a commitment to consider it as a priority. The last sentence is fairly definite. It reads: "We will expand the scheme to include the taking in charge of non-council roads with a view...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank all those who contributed to the debate yesterday. In particular, I thank those who supported the Bill: Deputy Mattie McGrath; the Sinn Féin spokesman, Deputy Jonathan O'Brien; Deputy Catherine Murphy of the Social Democrats; and others, but I welcome all of the contributions to what is an extraordinarily important debate. If I have been taught anything in dealing with this...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: They are included in the process under the Bill.

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: Deputy O'Brien is correct. They are already included in the Bill. There was no amendment to the Bill to provide for that: they were already included. They will sit on the two committees when a candidate is being selected for the Circuit Court and for the District Court. Their expertise will be used in that process. This was provided for in a deliberate response to the judges who said...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: European Fund for Strategic Investments (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I join the Deputy in publicly congratulating Deputy Griffin on joining me at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. I am delighted at his appointment. I also thank Deputy Patrick O'Donovan for the work he did in the Department and congratulate him on his new role. The European Fund for Strategic Investments is one of a number of European Investment Bank, EIB, and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: European Fund for Strategic Investments (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: The Deputy is correct about the deficit. We would like to have an enormous amount of additional money for infrastructure. That is absolutely true. We are exploring and have sent out many signs to Europe that we are interested. We have drawn down from the EIB more than €523 million in transport financing in Ireland in the 2014-2017 period. This includes €143 million for the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: European Fund for Strategic Investments (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I spelled out some figures on projects which have been successfully drawn down. The Deputy must realise that all borrowing must comply with Government borrowing procedures and in turn the State must comply with the EU fiscal rules. There has been a great deal of interaction with the EFSI, as I explained in my earlier reply. In 2015 the Department arranged, as part of an event, for a number...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: European Fund for Strategic Investments (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I am not going to publish it in the next fortnight but I will consider publishing it shortly.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: European Fund for Strategic Investments (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I will do that.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: ​ I thank Deputy Munster for this question, which was due for a run at the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach recently but which for legal reasons was not. I am happy to answer as far as I can here and hope the reply will be full and adequate. The remuneration of chief executive officers of commercial State bodies had historically come within...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I will put my hands up for what happened in the past if the Deputy wants me to. I am quite happy to do so. I am not happy with what has been happening here. It is quite obvious that it is unacceptable. What happened has been remedied in that new chief executives now get a single fixed term of anywhere between five and seven years. We have to rely on the findings of the courts, which we...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: The Deputy has made a good case. She is correct to point out what happened retrospectively and it was wrong. If she wants me to take the blame for what happened before my tenure I will take it willingly. I have no problem with that. The Deputy is asking me to change the law now specifically to address this problem. I will not do it now because we have made new rules for between five and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: If those rules do not work-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: If they are contested for some reason, although I cannot see why they should be because these are single fixed term contracts, not three and four as we had before, I will seriously consider changing the Act.