Results 17,561-17,580 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: That is what the Bill is for.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: JobPath.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: If we get short answers we will get through a lot.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Will the Minister confirm that his role is one of laying down policy for transport in Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Will the Minister confirm that he has given no policy direction whatsoever to Bus Éireann since he was appointed Minister last year? No policy direction has been given to the NTA in relation to Bus Éireann since he was appointed Minister last year. That is what the NTA has said to us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The answer is yes. The Minister should not waste time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Short questions and short answers. Will the Minister confirm that the subsidy to Dublin Bus per head of population is four times that of Bus Éireann? The subsidy is approximately €11 per head per annum to Bus Éireann and approximately €46 per head per annum to everybody who lives in Dublin and uses Dublin Bus.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I will explain it for the Minister. Will the Minister confirm that the subsidy to Bus Éireann last year was approximately €40 million, and that even if we discount Dublin, despite the fact that Bus Éireann does come in to Dublin, about 3.5 million people live outside of the greater metropolitan area?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: If he does not know these figures he should not be in the job. He should know the subsidy. The population of the country outside of Dublin is about 3.5 million. A schoolchild would tell him that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: One would expect a higher subsidy because of lower use in the rural areas. That is exactly the point. The Minister gave €60 million to 1.3 million people in Dublin. That is the reality. I am all in favour of what is done in Dublin - 150% in favour. Will the Minister tell us if it is his policy to provide rural bus services after 6 p.m. outside of the major towns, for example, on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It is not. It is €40 million versus €60 million, and that does not count Luas, DART and all the rest.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The fact is that €60 million is given to Dublin Bus and €40 million is given to Bus Éireann. The Minister's officials can confirm that. The population of the rest of the country is 3.5 million. Much of the €40 million is spent in the cities of Galway, Cork and Waterford. The population of Dublin is approximately 1.3 million, according to the figures given by the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: What the Minister is saying is that the service is provided on some historic basis and not on the needs of modern people in a modern society who are mobile?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I am aware of that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Is it the Minister's policy to ensure comprehensive services late into the evening, as is available in the urban areas, are provided in the rural areas of Ireland? Yes or no? This is very important. We could go on forever with crises in Bus Éireann until we get to the root of the problem. I compliment Deputy Barry and Deputy Catherine Murphy on the wages issues. I will not get a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I have them. I have already got them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The most important thing is that the Minister could advise me on what policy basis the subsidy is allocated. Could the Minister explain why the policy followed by him determines that per kilometre the charges on rural services far exceed those per kilometre on urban servicess, if one takes a rural bus, non-Expressway? Will he explain why that is his policy? I look forward to getting his...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Can I come back on that, the Minister could give a direction that there has to be-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: No, but I want to ask this question. Will the Minister explain why it is not his role as a policymaker to say that all citizens should be treated equally?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I would like that last question to be included.