Results 11,141-11,160 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Promotion (10 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: The Government's Tourism Policy Statement "People, Place and Policy – Growing Tourism to 2025" was launched in March 2015. The main targets contained in the Tourism Policy Statement, to be achieved by 2025, are as follows: - Overseas tourism revenue to increase to €5 billion net of inflation, compared to €3.5 billion in 2014; - Overseas visits to Ireland to increase to...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Data (10 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: Statistics published by the Central Statistics Office show that in the five year period between 2011 and 2016, the number of overseas visits to Ireland increased by 47.3%. This increase can be broken down further as follows – - 36.3% increase in visits from Great Britain - 44.6% increase in visits from Mainland Europe - 83.2% increase in visits from North America - 54.2% increase...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Promotion (10 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I am keen to see the further development of greenways across the country, fully recognising the tourism potential, along with the economic and health benefits that greenways can bring to local communities. To that end my Department recently undertook a public consultation process to inform the new Greenway Strategy which is currently being developed. I was very impressed by the level of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sports Events (10 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: On 25 September, the Taoiseach and I spearheaded the delegation that presented Ireland's bid to host the Rugby World Cup tournament in 2023. The delegation included, amongst others, Dick Spring, Chairman, Ireland 2023 Oversight Board; Philip Browne, Chief Executive, IRFU; David Sterling, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service; and Brian O'Driscoll, Ireland's Bid Ambassador. Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Data (10 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: The matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for the Board and Management of Tourism Ireland. I have referred the Deputy's Question to Tourism Ireland for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: The Deputy is aware that the taxpayer make a very large and recurring contribution each year to Iarnród Éireann. This contribution takes the form of both current, PSO, funding and capital funding under what is known as the infrastructure management multi-annual contract, IMMAC. In 2017 funding under the PSO and IMMAC programmes will cumulatively increase by over 17% when compared...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank the Deputy for telling me about the specific case he has brought to my attention. It would, however, be more appropriate to bring it to the attention of management in Iarnród Éireann. I will do so if the Deputy gives me the details of the case, particularly if it is in his constituency. I have not heard widespread reports of it happening around the country or being a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: We had a meeting of the multi-stakeholder forum on 10 July. It was a very successful and constructive meeting with representatives of all the unions, including the chief of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU. That resulted in an agreement that they would send suggestions to me about how the forum would work. I am awaiting some of those. I am absolutely committed to doing this. We...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Priority Question No. 1 because it contains some of the content that Deputy Munster will need. The National Transport Authority, NTA, has statutory responsibility for regulating fares charged by public transport operators, while the funding of the free travel scheme is primarily a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: As I have already stated in reply to Deputy Troy, an 8% increase in the overall Exchequer funding for PSO services will be distributed across the bus and rail networks. As is normal the allocations to the companies, including Iarnród Éireann will not be decided by me. It is consistently peddled in this House that somehow I have got an involvement in the day to day running of, or...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: Briefly, as an aside, I would like to thank Sinn Féin from the bottom of my heart for the stalwart support its members gave for the reopening of Stepaside Garda station.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: It could not have been without the Deputy and her colleagues-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: -----campaigning for it so strongly, and I thank her very much for that.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: Now let me get back to my brief having thanked the Deputy so much for her help.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I know I will be out of time and the Chair might ask the Deputy not to interrupt me. That is not paltry money. The Deputy need not talk to me about paltry money. Overall Exchequer funding, including public service obligation, PSO, and capital investment, for Iarnród Éireann this year is expected to reach €315 million.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: Do not tell me that is paltry money. That is not paltry money. It is serious money.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I just want to cite one other figure and it is fair that it would come out. Between 2008 and 2016 the taxpayer has made more than €5 billion available to the three CIE companies across both PSO and capital investment programmes.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: That is not paltry money. That is money which I hope has been and is well spent. It is my job to see that is well spent and I will see that it is well spent. The taxpayer is entitled to value for that money, not empty rhetoric from Deputy Munster.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Tourism Promotion (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: That is a fair question and one which I suspect will be asked and answered continually in the months ahead, and it is fair that this should be monitored monthly. I welcome the overall growth in visit numbers to Ireland in the first eight months of 2017. However, the decline in the numbers visiting from Great Britain continues to be a concern. While growth from North America, mainland...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Tourism Promotion (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: While I accept the genuineness of what the Deputy said, he should not expect anybody on any side of the House to anticipate currency movements. As he rightly pointed out, the reduction in visitor numbers from the UK has been compensated for partly by the visitor numbers from the US. Also, what is happening within Fáilte Ireland is something very commendable. It will receive €2...