Results 10,721-10,740 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Penalty Points System (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The many people who are members of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, be they disabled or members of an ethnic or other minority, would all agree they must comply with the Road Traffic Act like everyone else and with the rules of the road.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Penalty Points System (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am sure that even the representative organisations of the disabled and other groups would not advocate that they should have some sort of exemption from the road traffic legislation or be treated differently. If somebody feels he has been treated unfairly over penalty points, he has available to him, at long last, a clear set of rules on requesting a termination from the Garda. He also...

Other Questions: Heavy Goods Vehicle Levy (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5, 13 and 29 together. As the House was informed at the last Question Time, there have been considerable discussions held with my UK and Northern Ireland counterparts on this issue. This issue has been raised by the Taoiseach with Prime Minister David Cameron and it has also been discussed by the North-South Ministerial Council. As the Deputies...

Other Questions: Heavy Goods Vehicle Levy (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Yes, there has. There is now a working group including the two Departments and the Department of Finance. As the Deputy rightly says, road tax for hauliers in Ireland is very high. On the flipside, however, diesel prices are lower than in the North and Britain. In addition, there is a fuel rebate here. All these factors need to be taken in the round. Essentially, that is what we are...

Other Questions: Heavy Goods Vehicle Levy (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I have much sympathy with Deputy McHugh's remarks. We would like to see Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland taking the same view on this. It would be very helpful for me if the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly went to London and said that they want the A5 to be exempted, that the taxpayers are going to pay for a chunk and that they want trade between Donegal and the Border...

Other Questions: Heavy Goods Vehicle Levy (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: We will keep putting pressure on. One of the solutions may involve adopting the same system as that in the UK. I do not think there is anything ironic about it. In fairness, Deputy Ellis is not the worst of them but this is just a classic example of the two Sinn Féins. If ever there was a party of partition, it is Sinn Féin, which takes different positions north and south of the...

Other Questions: Heavy Goods Vehicle Levy (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I know I have only a minute left and I have much to say. To clarify matters, the local property tax in the North is more than €950 for the average house. That does include water and bin charges but it has been increased every year for the past four years with Sinn Féin in government and it intends to bring in direct charges for water in 2016. That is the truth. What Sinn...

Other Questions: Heavy Goods Vehicle Levy (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In regard to Deputy Wallace, I did not issue a statement. I was asked a question by a journalist and I am not sure exactly which sections of that were played on the radio and which were not. However, I have on a number of occasions expressed my respect for Deputy Wallace in the stance he has taken in pursuing on the floor of this House the issue around penalty points. I believe he has done...

Other Questions: Road Projects (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for funding in regard to the national roads programme.  The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. The project to which the Deputy refers is the N59 Moycullen...

Other Questions: Road Projects (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In regard to the overall objectives and benefits of the scheme, I want to put on the record of the House that a full business case has been carried out for the Moycullen scheme, which shows a benefit to cost ratio of 2.2 to 2.6. Between Galway city and the west of Moycullen, the existing N59 primarily serves as a commuter route, while further west it is more accurately described as a...

Other Questions: Local Authority Members' Remit (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 34 together. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, has led the most significant overhaul in the powers and functions of local authority structures in recent history. He deserves great credit for this and I am keen to support his agenda of devolving functions to local authorities where it is...

Other Questions: Local Authority Members' Remit (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Deputy Lawlor’s suggestion is an excellent one as the powers held by councillors are contained in many different Acts from maritime to local government to roads legislation, not one single Act. Rather than me just doing it for roads, the best action would be for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to produce a small booklet for newly elected councillors...

Other Questions: Local Authority Members' Remit (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Yes, some councillors might prefer not to have these powers. I am amused from time to time about the number of representations I get from councillors about matters such as speed limits which they decide, not me. There will be a whole new set of councillors next week and, hopefully, they will figure out what their job is.

Other Questions: Local Authority Members' Remit (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: It is up to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to take stock about the proposed Dublin mayor and decide on how he wishes to proceed on that. It will not go away as an issue and, at some point, the people of Dublin will be asked for their view on it. I regret that this was not done on this occasion as a result of a decision of Fingal County Council. I have a...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects Status (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In my earlier reply to a similar question in relation to the N59, I explained that the capital funding available for roads at present means that we have to prioritise the protection of the existing investment in road infrastructure as against major new expenditure on road building.   I pointed out that my general approach is to keep under review projects at various...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sale of State Assets (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In 2012, the State's 25.1% shareholding in Aer Lingus was included among the assets to be considered for sale under the State Asset Disposal programme in the context of the EU/IMF support programme. The Government agreed  at that time that the stake would only be sold when market conditions were favourable and if acceptable terms and an acceptable price could be secured. However,...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Accidents Data (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As of yesterday,14 May, the total number of fatalities on our roads in 2014 was 67. That is the same number for the same period last year. While it is too early in the year to be certain, I am hopeful that the year on year rise in fatalities experienced in 2013 will not be repeated this year. All of the agencies involved continue to examine the causes of road deaths and...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Ports Policy (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In 2013 I published a new National Ports Policy. As is stated in that, port masterplanning is in line with international best practice and is consistent with policy to improve integrated planning for all modes of transport. All of our Ports of National Significance (Tier 1) have in recent years published such documents and I welcome the initiative shown by the ports in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Tolls (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have overall responsibility for  policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The implementation of individual national road schemes which provide for tolling, is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2007.  Moreover, the statutory power to levy tolls...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Accidents Data (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In 2013, 190 people died in collisions on roads in this country. This was an increase of 17% over the 2012 figures, which was the safest year on Irish roads since records began in 1959. As of the 9th May, 63 people have been killed on our roads this year, a reduction of 3 on the same period last year.   Garda statistics indicate that there were 318 serious injuries in 2013, an...