Results 1,061-1,080 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern
- Leaders' Questions. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: We have put â¬1.2 billion into different aspects of rail transport. Two weeks ago Deputy Higgins asked me about the Clonsilla to Dunboyne line.
- Leaders' Questions. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: In reply to Deputy Higgins's question regarding the Clonsilla to Dunboyneââ
- Leaders' Questions. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: I will answer the question.
- Leaders' Questions. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: His own Deputy mentioned two phases. One must start with the first stage before getting to the last stage. We are not building with Lego.
- Leaders' Questions. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: Studies have been finished regarding the Clonsilla to Dunboyne line, the situation is well advanced and planning is almost certain to go ahead. The next stage, the feasibility study, is being undertaken. That has only started and will look at extending the line more broadly to Navan. Of course it makes sense ultimately to extend the line to Navan, but the first part of the process is the line...
- Leaders' Questions. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: No Government has ever put as much money into transport infrastructure as we have.
- Leaders' Questions. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: Over â¬1.2 billion has been invested in rail transport. The logical position is to build the line to Navan. The first stage is the Clonsilla to Dunboyne line. The studies have been done and completed, the Government is supportive of it and we want to get on with it. Some â¬31 billion has been allocated to the transport programme until 2009.
- Leaders' Questions. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: It is not all for roads. The Midleton line which helps over 100,000 commuters is going ahead and is well underway.
- Leaders' Questions. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: Deputy Boyle got upset when I said the Midleton line was underway. He obviously does not want it to be underway so he got upset at the reference. The feasibility study of the Navan line has commenced and hopefully we will get that back.
- Leaders' Questions. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: Deputy Sargent might, on another occasion, tell me when we will also get the N3. His view is that we will have the rail line sooner than the N3.
- Regional Development. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. I met with representatives from the Border, Midlands and Western Regional Assembly on 18 November 2004. The meeting allowed for useful discussion on issues of particular importance in the region. In general terms, these included progress on the implementation of the national development plan, especially by reference to the key...
- Regional Development. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: The Deputy is aware of the study of the western rail corridor. The former Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, set up a group in conjunction with the western corridor group to conduct a full study which will be available in April. I am not sure whether that addresses the issue of Shannon, but I met members of the group a few months ago and the study certainly covers the full link of the 12...
- Regional Development. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: I will try to answer all those questions, although I may not have all the details. I am supportive of the western rail corridor but where it starts and finishes depends on the studies that are being undertaken.
- Regional Development. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: It would make sense to use the existing rail lines but we will have to await the completion of the studies in order to ascertain the viability of the various issues. When I met representatives of the groups involved, they told me they knew there were issues concerning the viability of all the lines. It is important to be supportive of it. As we all know, rail makes enormous sense and that is...
- Regional Development. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: Nine of the 12 projects are in the west. It was a positive decision to do that. As the Deputy knows, we have difficulties on a few of the other major projects we wanted to start because of environmental issues but rather than arguing about them we will invest moneys in other areas. That is the plan. The ten-year programme certainly allows us to make progress. As we finish some major road...
- Regional Development. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: The challenge for the State is to keep such expenditure at 5% to 6% of GDP. Recently, the engineers said that regardless of what happens to the economy we should be able to do that. I do not think any politician â certainly not myself, or any Taoiseach â would make that claim. If we can do it, however, there is agreement that in 2015 we could have a very modern system. It will have to...
- Regional Development. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: We have given Knock Airport â¬3 million which is part of what it requires. It is the biggest slice that any such project has received, although I know the airport is seeking more. I have spoken to the airport's representatives twice in the past six months. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, has provided the allocation of â¬3 million. I agree that the potential is there. It is the...
- Regional Development. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: I am advised that the report by the chairman will be ready in April. The Minister, Deputy Cullen, tells me he believes it will be in early April. We have been supportive of this all the way through. The report is to identify how it can best be achieved. There will probably be arguments about the viability of where the western rail corridor starts and ends. I have heard the arguments about...
- Regional Development. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: Generally the policy is that 10,300 public servants will move to the 50-plus locations in 24 counties. The process will take longer than originally envisaged. The OPW and the group working on decentralisation have divided the move into three blocks. One block will move with the greatest speed. Regarding the second block, in some areas they are down to a number of sites and locations in terms...
- Regional Development. (2 Mar 2005)
Bertie Ahern: The roll-out of broadband has intensified greatly in the 19 towns that were originally identified. It has continued into the next 38 towns and it will continue to be rolled out in up to 100 towns. There are also community broadband schemes. There has been an enormous acceleration of that activity. Eircom and others had reduced their programme because of losses on the 3G licence issue but they...