Results 1,741-1,760 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen
- State Airports. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: Deputies Shortall and Olivia Mitchell are making my point for me. I am being asked to answer quite legitimate questions, with which I have no issue, but I cannot do so in advance of seeing the business plans. The plans must contain the answers to the questions the Deputies have raised.
- State Airports. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: Let us produce the business plans first. We are often accused of trying to shoot in the dark without obtaining the facts. The Deputy should allow me to obtain the facts on the business plans. We will have to make decisions on foot of them.
- State Airports. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: What was Deputy Shortall's question?
- State Airports. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: There is no disagreement between the three of us on this matter. The discussions between Cork, Shannon and Dublin airports deal with those issues. They are making decisions based on the hard facts of what is profitable and what is not, and the best structure for the future. Some political decisions may need to be taken as an outcome of that business plan. I have given these sound business...
- State Airports. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: I would not like to mislead the House. Business planning is going on between the three airports under the direction of Dublin Airport Authority. The three airports are working out with the authority how these business plans stack up. One cannot make a business plan unless one possesses all the facts. They have the commercial facts. I am waiting for the business plans to come back, which may...
- State Airports. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: The movement of aircraft at Cork Airport is an operational matter for the airport authorities and the airlines concerned, subject to compliance with aviation safety requirements. However, I am informed by the Dublin Airport Authority that for the first four months of this year, 1.8% of planned arrivals at Cork Airport were diverted or cancelled, compared to an average annual diversion rate of...
- State Airports. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: I have been more than open with the Deputies this afternoon. I am disappointed that Deputy Ryan is trying to trivialise the matter.
- State Airports. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: This is a case of serious business planning to split one organisation into three. The three parts must be party to the discussions. That is reasonable and sound. I do not have the answer to the Deputy's technical question and am not going to guess it. In my response to the initial question I said that the diversion rate of 1% at Cork Airport is well in line with international norms.
- Driving Tests. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: Table 1 sets out the numbers waiting and the average waiting time at each driving test centre on 9 May 2005. Table 2 sets out the number of driver testers, including supervisory testers, employed by my Department between 1997 and 2005. My Department and the Department of Finance have agreed a package of measures which includes increased productivity, the recruitment of additional testers and...
- Driving Tests. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: I am pleased the Department of Finance has supported the measures I proposed and I thank the Minister for Finance for that. The number of testers employed is substantially larger than it was. I do not know why the Deputy says there are fewer now. I can give her the figures if she wishes. There are 129 testers and several vacancies, which I intend to fill immediately. We have appointed a new...
- Driving Tests. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: The new chief executive of the driving standards authority says they are available. Some training will be needed to ensure uniformity.
- Driving Tests. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: The training will ensure uniformity and consistency in the standard of driver testing across the country.
- Driving Tests. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: The authority will train the testers. That is why we are setting up the authority. I am told by all sides, including internally, that it will achieve this. It will be done if there is a will to do it.
- Driving Tests. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: I am an optimist. I believe that one can get through problems if one sticks to the facts.
- Driving Tests. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: If one sticks to the facts the truth will always stand by one.
- Driving Tests. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: One should never be afraid of the truth.
- Airport Security. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 37 and 63 together. On completion of the recent EU inspection of Dublin Airport, officials from my Department and the Dublin Airport Authority received an oral briefing on the findings of the inspection. I have received a report from my officials on the outcome of that debriefing. In accordance with established procedures and practice, my Department, the...
- Airport Security. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: The security is to the highest standard. Some of the airlines said that the security facilities at Dublin Airport are among the best in the world. Clearly on this particular day there were lapses on the part of Dublin Airport and the airlines. As they were identified on the day, they were corrected and further enhancements have taken place.
- Airport Security. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: The National Civil Aviation Security Committee was constituted in 1974. From people in my Department I know this issue is taken extraordinarily seriously and regular checks take place. There were failures on that day but they were not catastrophic. There were specific issues tested that were not up to standard. I would not defend that and my views have been made well known. The security staff...
- Airport Security. (12 May 2005)
Martin Cullen: There is no doubt about it. All those factors contribute to the issues at Dublin Airport. Deputy Mitchell, and Deputy Shortall earlier, enunciated what people reporting on these issues do not understand. There are two capacity problems emerging at Dublin Airport. We have not passed them by because clearly they exist. One is airside for airline capacity, and that compounds the internal...