Results 10,801-10,820 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (27 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: This amendment arises from a query by Senator Barrett on Second Stage regarding the appropriateness of including as a grounds for disqualifying a director of Shannon Group the making of composition arrangements with creditors. Having reviewed the text and consulted with the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, I am proposing that this provision be removed from the list of grounds...

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (27 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: For clarity, this relates to the Minister giving directions to the Shannon group and not to the regulator. The power of direction granted to a Minister in respect of State bodies for which he or she is responsible is a normal provision of any legislation establishing a State body. In this Bill, the power is constrained in two ways. The Minister can only make directions to the Shannon group...

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (27 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: We are in broad agreement about what we want to achieve and to avoid. It is best to deal with this again on Report Stage when either the Senators or departmental officials may come up with a revised amendment that allows for transparency without any unintended consequences. In my three years in office I have never issued a direction to a State airport. There is no secrecy in that regard.

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (27 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: It occurs to me now that other Ministers might wish to do so and, on balance, transparency is better than secrecy. The suggestion that we return to this on Report Stage is a good one.

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (27 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I do not propose to accept the amendment for two reasons. It is not necessary to legislate to establish a committee. Were that desirable we could do that in any case. Nonetheless, this has provided an opportunity to discuss the matter. In 2006 and 2007, a committee was established representing the local authorities, local development interests...

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (27 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Section 30 provides for the dissolution of Cork Airport Authority plc on a day to be appointed by order of the Minister. It also provides for the Minister to re-establish the Cork Airport Authority again in the future. In the interim, provision is made to protect the name – Cork Airport Authority – from being registered by anyone else. Certain consequential amendments to the...

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (27 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Cork Airport Development Council is non-statutory. It has been set up to work with the interests in the area to help us develop the plan for Cork of which the Senator spoke. Much of what needs to be done there is to increase the number of people visiting Cork. People do not go to a city to visit its airport, but pass through the airport to reach a city or region. We need more people...

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (27 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The board of the DAA established the Cork Airport Development Council at my request and it had its first meeting in March. Although I do not know when the next meeting is scheduled, the council is supposed to meet at least quarterly and I intend to meet it when I visit Cork next month. Its remit is to pull the interests of the region together, try to develop the airport and give people more...

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (27 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I have been informed that "a company" is defined in the Bill as meaning Cork, Shannon or Dublin airports.

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (27 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I fully concur with Senators Darragh O'Brien and Sean Barrett. The Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, was a misnomer from the day the new body was established. It was given this name because it was intended at the time to separate Shannon Airport and Cork Airport almost immediately and sell off Aer Rianta International, ARI, the retail element which consists of shops, duty free operations and...

Topical Issue Debate: Industrial Disputes (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: First, industrial relations issues are primarily matters for the company. The State's 25% shareholding does not allow it to interfere in the management of the airline. The largest shareholding is held by Ryanair and the staff and State shareholding is not combined. It is often the case that the interests of the State and staff differ. IMPACT'S Aer Lingus cabin crew members recently...

Topical Issue Debate: Industrial Disputes (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am not blaming management or the unions for the current situation. As is the case in all industrial relations disputes there are two sides to every story. It appears to me that Deputy Daly is the one not listening. Based on her contribution, it would appear that she has only heard one side of the story, that of the unions, and has decided to repeat it here in this Chamber. The Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motor Tax Collection (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: There are arrangements in place whereby my Department, through the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) system, remind motorists that motor tax is due through the issue of a motor tax reminder notice, some 3-4 weeks before the due date. These notices are generated automatically and some 400,000 issue at the end of each month. Departments are required to implement...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Obligation Services (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 134 together.   The issues raised are matters for the National Transport Authority (NTA) and I have referred the Deputy's questions to the NTA for direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Semi-State Bodies (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The credit rating of the commercial semi-State companies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the companies themselves.  I have however forwarded your question to those companies for their direct response to you.  If you do not receive a response within 10 working days please contact my private office.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Obligation Services (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Decisions in relation to the overall funding for public transport Public Service Obligation (PSO) services provided to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for 2015 and future years will be made in the context of the 2015 Estimates process and the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure 2015-2017 currently underway. In my submission to the  Comprehensive Expenditure Review I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am pleased to appear before the joint committee in advance of the Transport Council in Luxemburg on 5 June. I will briefly outline the outcome of the last Transport Council on 14 March in Luxemburg. I will then focus on the agenda for the Transport Council on 5 June and run through the main agenda items and some of the important any other business, AOB, items. I will welcome questions...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for his questions. Next week's Council meeting will deal with the technical aspects of the fourth railway package, such as safety, interoperability and the European Railway Agency. We will not discuss the opening of the railway market but it will be discussed at a later stage. International traffic is liberalised. For example, the Belfast-Dublin route could be operated...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: None of this relates to the European Council meeting but-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: It does. The tiering of ports largely follows the TEN-T guidelines as to what is a core port and what is not, and what is on TEN-T and what is not. Some take the view that governments can just put anything they want on the trans-European networks, but they cannot. There are certain criteria, and the ports that meet those criteria are Dublin, Cork, Shannon-Foynes, Rosslare and Waterford....