Results 1,741-1,760 of 7,604 for speaker:James Bannon

Seanad: Regional Transport Policy: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: Recognising that HGVs in particular are potentially hazardous to vulnerable road users, the Irish Road Haulage Association — I declare an interest in that association as I was nominated by it to contest the Seanad election——

Seanad: Regional Transport Policy: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: That association, the National Safety Council and the National Council on Ageing and Older People have launched a joint safety campaign to highlight the existence of a danger zone or blind spot around HGVs. Their valid contention is that if a person cannot see the driver of such a vehicle, the driver cannot see the person. According to the National Safety Council, there was a total of 3,360...

Seanad: Regional Transport Policy: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: They are reviewing the entire county when the kilometres per hour signs are already in place.

Seanad: Regional Transport Policy: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: It will cost money to put up the new signs and that is happening in every county. The Government had an opportunity to alert local authorities to this and it did not happen.

Seanad: Regional Transport Policy: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: It did not happen. Elected representatives were not consulted. There must be reform of the driving test system and driving instructor techniques. I have received numerous representations from people who have had to wait up to ten months for a driving test, a process that the Minister of State should speed up. Fine Gael calls on the Government to produce a White Paper on aviation policy. We...

Seanad: Regional Transport Policy: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: The Leader of the House will also support me in this regard. We must establish an accident investigation unit to investigate the cause of all road accidents. There are reports on accidents but this investigation unit is essential because when we find out the cause of accidents, we can act to eliminate them. There are often blackspots in countryside locations where up to ten people have been...

Seanad: Regional Transport Policy: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: There are serious problems with the quality of school transport that must be addressed but the Government has not made any provision for it in the past decade. On the day the Kyoto Agreement comes into force the emissions from some of these buses are shameful. The Government should fund the rural transport initiative and ensure it is a lifelong process — we are all heading for old age and...

Seanad: Regional Transport Policy: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: This Government has been in power for almost a decade and has done nothing about it.

Seanad: Regional Transport Policy: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: I am talking about the €60 million that was squandered on e-voting that could have been spent on public transport.

Seanad: Regional Transport Policy: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: We would not squander money.

Seanad: Order of Business. (22 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: Like other Members, I am delighted to see you back in the Chair today in good health, a Chathaoirligh. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to the House for a debate on why the Government axed grants for householders to engage contractors to remove radon gas. The procedure costs from €3,000 to €5,000. The grants that were made...

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: At their last parliamentary party meeting, the Progressive Democrats unanimously agreed to scrap the regional waste management plan and bring forward a national plan for a super incinerator. It proposes to locate this super incinerator in the midlands. The time has come to have a debate on waste management because there are differences in Government on the issue. Both the Tánaiste, Deputy...

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: I was annoyed by the comments of a Progressive Democrat from the west of Ireland who stated it should be located in an under-developed and deserted area of the midlands. This is an insult to the people of the midlands, who are represented by two Progressive Democrats members have been elected to the Oireachtas. I ask the party to withdraw those comments and apologise.

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: Our policy is "No to incineration".

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: The Government has not carried out the necessary investigations regarding its safety.

Seanad: National Spatial Strategy: Statements. (23 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: The Government produced the national spatial strategy in 2002 in a blaze of publicity and then promptly lost its way in an attempt to forget about it. Stumbling in a self-made maze, more complex than any inhabited by the Minotaur of Greek mythology, the Government has made no attempt to offer visible appeasement, comparable to the seven youths and virgins demanded by the ancient creature, to...

Seanad: National Spatial Strategy: Statements. (23 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: Precedence is given to the "triangular gateway" of Athlone, Mullingar and Tullamore in the spatial strategy. This is important to the Minister.

Seanad: National Spatial Strategy: Statements. (23 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: The Minister should not be acting as an adviser to his colleagues on the Government benches. We expect a little more from him.

Seanad: National Spatial Strategy: Statements. (23 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: The guidelines consider Longford and Portlaoise, with smaller towns and villages, to be further down the list. We were disappointed with this at the time but we are doing our best in our respective local authorities to push Longford, Westmeath and Roscommon forward under the spatial strategy. The huge shortfall in investment in public transport in the BMW region was highlighted in the ESRI's...

Seanad: National Spatial Strategy: Statements. (23 Feb 2005)

James Bannon: Knock Airport is the only international airport in the BMW region and, as such, could be a real driver of economic and tourism development, with Abbeyshrule in County Longford also providing a valuable regional service to the midlands. Why is there a lack of Government support for Knock Airport, the potential of which is untapped at present? It could be a huge driver of economic and tourist...