Results 10,981-11,000 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Tourism Industry (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In the Good Friday Agreement, tourism is specifically designated as an area of cross-Border co-operation. Tourism Ireland was therefore established to market the entire island of Ireland as a destination in overseas markets.    Co-operation on tourism does not take place directly with the Assembly. Rather, the tourism Ministers from the Government here and the Northern...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Tourism Industry (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am not sure we have a problem with attracting repeat visitors.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Tourism Industry (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Clearly, the statistics indicate we get fewer repeat visitors than other tourist destinations but that may be, in part, down to the nature of Ireland as a tourism destination. People may well go the Costa del Sol and Portugal every other year. Coming to Ireland is a different proposition especially for people coming from America or from long haul flights. In many cases, it is a once in a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Tourism Industry (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Perhaps the Deputy's party might suggest getting that department in the next Executive.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Tourism Industry (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am not particularly familiar with it. I have heard of it but I do not know very much about it and I have had no meetings about it. If the Deputy would pass on the details, I would certainly be happy to take a look at it.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Airport Development Projects (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Exchequer support for infrastructural projects at the regional airports is confined to safety and security related projects under the Regional Airports Programme 2011-2014. The projects being funded at Waterford Airport under the current Programme, through the CAPEX scheme, include runway end safety areas, RESAs, which involve the purchase of land to facilitate this work, as well...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Airport Development Projects (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: We are all very keen that Waterford Airport should secure flights to London again. There are flights to Birmingham and Manchester. Deputy John Deasy told me yesterday that the load factors on those are improving considerably, which is encouraging. Whether the RESA will secure a flight to London is not clear. Some people say it is like a chicken and egg situation - which one comes first?...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Airport Development Projects (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: We are constrained in how we can support regional airports by EU state aid rules and by our own budget, which is capped at €12 million per annum for all of the regional airports. Waterford has received considerable amounts of money in recent years, particularly under the operational expenditure heading, because of the losses it has been making. I am advised that the airport is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Airports (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Government decided to separate Shannon Airport from the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, and form a new integrated Shannon entity in public ownership, Shannon Group, comprising the airport and a restructured Shannon Development. The assets, business and employees of the airport were transferred from the DAA to the Shannon Airport Authority, SAA, on 31 December 2012 following approval...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Airports (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The strategy for Shannon Airport is two-pronged, namely, to develop air services and, second, to develop the landbank, particularly those assets located close to the airport. A great deal of interesting discussion is taking place on the asset base and announcements will be made once decisions are reached. I am confident of progress in this regard. Since Shannon Airport was given its...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Airports (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I appreciate that the Deputy is a major supporter of Shannon Airport. However, it is one of several airports in the west, including Ireland West Airport at Knock and Kerry, Cork and Donegal airports. They all have an important role to play. It is not the case, as people might have feared, that Shannon and Knock airports cannot both do well. It looks like this could be Knock airport's best...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Motor Tax Collection (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I established an interdepartmental group last January to assess the implications of introducing a pay-as-you-go road tax system for HGVs, in response to concerns raised by hauliers about the cost of running a haulage operation in Ireland. In particular, the IRHA believes the current motor tax regime is unfair to hauliers with international operations, which have to pay...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Motor Tax Collection (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for his comments. The Government’s objective from day one has been to support the haulage industry. It is essential to an island and an exporting economy that we have an efficient and competitive haulage industry that can get our goods to market, as well as transporting imports and other goods around the country. Several measures to support the industry have been...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Road Projects Status (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As I indicated in my response on 15 May to Questions Nos. 22 and 49 from the Deputy, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding of the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for the NRA under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. The scale of the reduction in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Road Projects Status (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As I said in my reply, the priority when it comes to access to the north west, and Donegal in particular, is the A5. People living in Donegal will know why that is a priority. To put it in context, the National Roads Authority's budget peaked at €1.75 billion back in 2007 and fell to €371 million this year. From peak to trough, the cut in the NRA budget has been somewhere in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Road Safety (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Road fatalities this year are similar in number to the same period in 2013. I am concerned, in particular, that the number of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists is very high compared to previous years. The Garda and the Road Safety Authority continue to examine the causes of the collisions that result in deaths and serious injuries on our roads so that greater focus can...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Road Safety (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I would be reluctant to describe an increase in one year as a trend. We had a downward trend certainly for seven years, last year there was an increase and this year it is flat. I do not think one move up or down constitutes a trend but, nonetheless, it is important to be vigilant. As the Deputy pointed out, I am glad he was willing to concede that had Fianna Fáil stayed in power...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Road Safety (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The number of gardaí peaked in the traffic corps in 2008 and road deaths were much higher in 2008 than they are now. I do not think it is correct to say there is a direct correlation between the number of traffic gardaí and enforcement.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Road Safety (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I accept and agree that we would all like to see more Garda enforcement, more gardaí and their equipment upgraded. I have a very good and close working relationship with the new Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald. Only yesterday we jointly met representatives of PARC, who as some of the Members will know, are campaigners on road safety. The Departments and the two Ministers have...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aviation Policy (26 Jun 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Following on from the public consultation process over the last year a draft National Aviation Policy for Ireland was published on 21 May 2014 and is available on my Department’s website. The consultation process covered all elements of aviation policy and the draft National Aviation Policy takes account of the submissions received. Stakeholders now have an opportunity to provide...