Results 11,561-11,580 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Search and Rescue Service Provision (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: I will answer the Deputy's second question first. The IAA carries out periodic comprehensive reviews of its NAV charts. The most recent comprehensive review was carried out between October 2016 and May 2017. It involved the Air Corps CHC pilot organisation and its associations. The review involved a series of technical workshops over a number of months attended by over 100 participants....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Search and Rescue Service Provision (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: The position is very clear. The then Minister in 2010 signed off on a framework which was absolutely specific, namely, that the Coast Guard is responsible for all of the regulation around the coast and on the cliffs and the IAA oversees the aeronautical travel that is going on. That could not be clearer, and they are responsible for that. It is an organisation. That is the practice and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Search and Rescue Service Provision (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: That has been the accepted practice since 2010. The IAA is one of the most respected of the regulators of safety in the world. It was second in Europe last year and has been acknowledged by all the auditors. It is audited in the most stringent way, not only globally or nationally by my Department but also by the European Aviation Safety Agency, EASA, the European safety Organisation. To...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Transport (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: As the Deputy will be aware, it is the responsibility of the National Transport Authority, NTA, to conduct the current public procurement process relating to the tendering out of 10% of the public service obligation, PSO, bus network. The NTA is undertaking this by way of three separate competitions: Dublin metropolitan, Dublin commuter and Waterford. It is well recognised that good public...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Transport (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: Deputy Smith cannot expect me to agree with her and I do not. Putting these routes out to tender is not a wage deal at all. It is a matter of introducing competition into the market. It is not a wage deal, which is a separate issue that was discussed in a separate forum and where a settlement was reached to the satisfaction of all parties. That is not related to this particular issue....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Transport (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: I will answer the Deputy's question. Do I hope this will take cars off the road? The answer is yes. Do not say that I am not answering the question. The answer is Y-E-S. I do hope it will do that. Does this answer the Deputy's question? Is that plain enough for her?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Transport (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: It is absolutely absurd for Deputy Smith to say that. The workers and staff are protected under this particular scheme. There will not be redundancies as a result of putting this out to tender. There will be none, so for the Deputy to suggest that the workers are in some way being laid off, they are not. They have options under these schemes. They have options to have similar terms of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Transport Infrastructure Provision (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank Deputy Connolly for her question. I am sure that the Deputy is aware that the transport strategy for Galway city was prepared by the National Transport Authority in partnership with Galway City Council and Galway County Council in 2016. The strategy set out an overall framework for the development of transport infrastructure and services in Galway city and its environs over a 20...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Transport Infrastructure Provision (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: I take the Deputy's point about imagination and ambition. The problem is that we do not have money. Light rail was found to be too ambitious in terms of a lack of market demand for it. If there is a business case for it, we will look at the issue again. The decision was made that there was not a good business case for light rail at the time. There is definitely an attempt to address the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Transport Infrastructure Provision (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: If the Deputy can make a fresh case for light rail which makes economical commercial sense I will be very happy to discuss it with her. As the Deputy is aware, we have limited funds. If she can make a case that is convincing and stands up to scrutiny I will be delighted to review it with her. On the budget, regional cities and an environmentally-friendly solution, the Deputy knows the...

Other Questions: Rugby World Cup 2023 (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank the Deputy for his question and remarks. Before I respond to the question, I congratulate France on its win. I wish it every success as it turns its attention to delivering an outstanding tournament in 2023. Wednesday's result was disappointing, particularly after the years of work put into the bid. However, in our disappointment, we should not lose sight of the fact that the...

Other Questions: Rugby World Cup 2023 (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: The Deputy's comments probably are more controversial than mine will be. We did everything we possibly could to secure a successful bid. On the question of lobbying, the answer is that, yes, there was lobbying and plenty of it. We are not ashamed of the fact we lobbied and put our case. Politicians lobbied and the Irish Rugby Football Union lobbied. Members of the Opposition lobbied, and...

Other Questions: Rugby World Cup 2023 (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: A sum of €50 million has been allocated in the budget for large-scale projects, and stadium projects certainly could be considered eligible candidates for that funding. I do not know whether the Deputy is giving credit to the criticisms of our stadium infrastructure. Commitments were given in this regard and they were solid, bullet-proof and Government-sponsored. I remain of the...

Other Questions: Traffic Management (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: A traffic management plan for a particular area is primarily a matter for the relevant local authority, in this case Dublin City Council. There are, however, some supports designed at central government level that can assist both local authorities and local entities, including schools, in better managing traffic and its impact on their area. The sustainable transport measures grants,...

Other Questions: Traffic Management (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: As I said, the local authority should be the lead in this. I am not attempting to pass the buck in saying that I do not consider myself to have any great role in this. If I can play a constructive role in bringing people together, then I will do so. However, the first port of call probably should be the local authority when it comes to bringing stakeholders together. My guess, moreover,...

Other Questions: Traffic Management (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: Traffic plans are hopeless if one does not have an environmentally friendly way, which the Deputy addressed, of getting children to school which gets them out of cars. We have a larger role here, not just in Dublin or the Deputy's area but on a national level, to get children cycling and participating in walking, cycling and sustainable travel initiatives, which are in my Department's remit....

Other Questions: Public Transport Initiatives (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: As the Deputy is aware, BusConnects, which was launched earlier this year by the National Transport Authority, NTA, is a plan to transform Dublin's bus system fundamentally so that journeys for passengers by bus will be fast, reliable, punctual, convenient and affordable. It represents a reimagining of bus transport for the Dublin region. It encompasses the revamping of all aspects of the...

Other Questions: Public Transport Initiatives (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: Much of what Deputy Wallace said is right. We are bad performers and we have missed our targets. We do not have a record about which we could hold our heads high. Public transport is a contributor to that. There is no point in denying it. We are making large strides, particularly in the bus area but also elsewhere, with ambitious and renewed targets to remedy the situation of which we...

Other Questions: Public Transport Initiatives (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: The State takes climate change seriously, as does our Department. It was not taken seriously enough in the past and we had targets which may have been too ambitious but were there all the same. The green public transport fund was established to cover the difference in price between those buses which were diesel-fuelled, hybrids and other forms of environmentally friendly, low emissions...

Other Questions: Road Projects Status (22 Nov 2017)

Shane Ross: As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in respect of the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Within its capital budget, the...