Results 1,601-1,620 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: No, the Senator is just talking off the top of his head.

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: The Senator must have read all of the tabloid newspapers.

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: That is not true.

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: I welcome this debate and the opportunity to set out the position regarding important matters concerning Dublin Airport. I hope Members will view the fact that I have come into this House as a mark of my deep interest in this debate and of my commitment. As a general point,I wish to make it clear that despite some comments that have been made in this House, to defer or deflect decisions...

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: I am responding directly to an accusation that was levelled. Moreover, it is not the view of any member of the Government, irrespective of position, that this is a sustainable position. I wish to put on the record of this House that all within the Government are ad idem on the view that I have stated, that decisions on these matters are of the utmost importance and must be made shortly and...

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: Airlines can facilitate the movement of passengers through earlier opening times and greater numbers of check-in desks. It is not enough to have the Dublin Airport Authority ask passengers to arrive two hours earlier if the airlines do not open their desks to facilitate passengers. The ball is on both sides of the court for everyone to play fair and not to seize on opportunities to lay the...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (21 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: There are no official estimates of the costs associated with traffic congestion. My Department is aware of international empirical research, which estimates the economic and social costs of road congestion to be significant and of work carried out by the Dublin Transportation Office in 2002 on the cost of congestion in the greater Dublin area. The 2002 study estimated the cost of congestion...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (21 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: All Ministers meet, both formally and informally, persons who give advice on such projects. Every meeting will have touched in some shape or form on such projects. If the Deputy has any particular projects in mind I will be happy to check the Department's records.

Written Answers — Rail Network: Rail Network (21 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: In accordance with Directive 2004/51/EC the market for international rail freight services will be opened from 1 January 2006, which will enable any railway undertaking established in the EU to provide international freight services on the existing Irish rail network. From 1 January 2007, the domestic freight market will be opened, allowing any EU railway undertaking to provide domestic...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (21 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: I do not consider there should be a regulatory requirement on people to wear such clothing. The consensus of public authorities concerned with road safety has been that the wearing of high visibility vests is best promoted on a voluntary basis by way of educational and publicity campaigns such as those undertaken, by the National Safety Council.

Written Answers — Parental Leave Provisions: Parental Leave Provisions (21 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: Public bodies under the aegis of my Department are entitled to the statutory allowances. This amounts to 18 weeks paid maternity leave and an optional eight weeks unpaid maternity leave. The Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004 introduced a wide range of improvements to maternity protection legislation. These improvements, while welcome, will increase costs in the public service, as they...

Written Answers — Public Capital Programme: Public Capital Programme (21 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 163 to 165, inclusive, together. My Department has responsibility for overall policy and funding of the public capital programme. The assessment, procurement, project management and delivery of individual infrastructure projects are a matter for the relevant non-commercial semi-State bodies, under the aegis of my Department. Staff numbers in my Department are...

Written Answers — Public Capital Programme: Public Capital Programme (21 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: The essence of my Department's activities is the consideration and implementation of policy for the delivery of a safe, efficient and integrated transportation system. Within this overall policy context virtually every type of project in respect of air, rail, road, and bus transport is considered in various degrees by my Department. While my Department considers programmes of activity and...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (26 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: Since 11 June 2001 all applications for a first provisional licence must be accompanied by a driver theory test certificate. The specification which the contractor operating the driver theory test is obliged to meet provides for the delivery of a user-friendly computerised theory testing system and requires that provision is made for candidates with special needs. This includes the provision...

Written Answers — Rail Services: Rail Services (26 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 307, 308 and 318 together. The carriage of beet by rail is a commercial matter between Iarnród Éireann and Greencore. Iarnród Éireann has advised me that an agreement has been successfully concluded with Greencore for the carriage of beet by rail to Mallow, in the upcoming season, from Wellington Bridge and Milford. I have been advised that Iarnród...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (26 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: My Department is in consultation with the Office of Public Works with a view to providing off-road testing facilities for the testing of drivers of heavy goods vehicles. Such facilities have been provided in Sligo, Limerick and Dundalk. It is the intention, subject to the availability of suitable sites and the efficient and economic delivery of the service, to provide similar facilities at...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (26 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: Atkins Consultants were commissioned to review the feasibility, safety implications and cost of raising the height of the Dublin Port tunnel. The options for increasing the height of the tunnel were also considered by the National Roads Authority and by Dublin City Council. In addition, the contractor, NMI Consortium, priced the work that would be involved in increasing the height of the...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (26 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: It is proposed to provide a quality bus corridor on sections of the hard shoulder of the Naas Road. This is one of the pilot projects for bus lanes on hard shoulders. The tenders for phases two and three were advertised on Monday, 18 April 2005. Phase two is the section between the N7 Kingswood interchange and the Red Cow and phase three is the section between Robinhood Road and Long Mile...

Written Answers — Great Southern Hotels Group: Great Southern Hotels Group (26 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: Under the State Airports Act 2004, the Dublin Airport Authority has a statutory mandate to do everything necessary to give effect to the restructuring of the State airports. All three authorities for the State airports are preparing comprehensive business plans and in furtherance of Dublin Airport Authority's new role, the position of its principal subsidiaries, including the Great Southern...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2005)

Martin Cullen: The officer has been on the clerical officer transfer list for Ballina since 18 October 1998. While there is a vacancy to be filled in Ballina, she is not in the first 20 staff on the transfer list and it is extremely unlikely that she will be considered for this position.