Results 17,641-17,660 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Safety Authority Campaigns (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: Enforcement is a matter for the Department of Justice and Equality. I understand that the Deputy is frustrated by the fact that there are not enough gardaí on the roads. There will probably never be enough gardaí on the roads for enforcement purposes, though numbers are increasing. I will convey the Deputy's message to the Minister for Justice and Equality when I see him at the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport Initiatives (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: The Deputy and I are in complete agreement in welcoming the work completed so far in developing a draft Cork metropolitan area transport strategy and engaging with the public on that draft to hear their views. Its ambition fits within the framework created by Project Ireland 2040, namely, building a better and more sustainable Ireland. The Deputy will acknowledge that the strategy is not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport Initiatives (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: Cork would be lucky if it could benefit from mistakes made by Dublin. Some of our proposals for Dublin, like BusConnects, will not be mistakes. They will be extended to Cork and other cities as well. They will have a dramatic effect in moving people out of their private cars and onto buses. That is the intention for Cork and Dublin and the vision for the entire country. I should say that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport Initiatives (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: I am aware of the Cork Chamber of Commerce's proposal for an oversight office in Cork to ensure deliver of the strategy. As far as I am aware, the NTA has no plans to do that.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport Initiatives (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: I am sure the NTA is aware of the Deputy's feelings about that. I have not spoken to the Cork Chamber of Commerce, but I am sure it has made this proposal known to the NTA. If it has not done so, I will certainly be happy to convey it to the NTA and hear its reaction. This is difficult. We are committed to implementation, but obviously we will have to negotiate the funding for these...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electric Vehicles (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: The movement to low emission urban buses is central to the promotion and normalisation of cleaner fuels and technologies.  A major shift to cleaner alternatives across the entire transport sector is necessary if we are to reduce harmful emissions. I am sure the Deputy recognises that the emissions savings potential from the urban bus fleet alone is limited because buses account...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electric Vehicles (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: I will provide the Deputy with some more information. The trial compared 15 different bus models of different technology types across a range of parameters. Fully electric, hybrid electric and compressed natural biogas models were tested alongside two exhaust-retrofitted diesel buses. The buses were assessed for CO2 and air pollutant emissions, energy efficiency, cost and infrastructure...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electric Vehicles (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: Deputy Curran spoke about the buses that were bought. The Deputy is correct that before July, the NTA placed an order for Euro 6 standard diesel buses as part of its long-term fleet replacement and expansion programme. Euro 6 technology is the greenest diesel option and these buses will be deployed to replace the oldest and most polluting Euro 3 and Euro 4 standard models in the fleet, with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: I thank the Deputy for the question, the subject of which is prompting much interest from all Deputies. It is a very important fund. The national sports policy published last year provided for the establishment of a new large-scale sport infrastructure fund. The aim of the fund is to provide support for larger sports facilities where the Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: The Minister of State, Deputy Griffin, and I will always push for additional funding for sports capital projects of this sort and we cannot rule out anything. We are certainly not ruling out anything in this way. There is clearly no intention to reopen the closed application process and I am glad the Deputy clarified that. We will certainly not rule out receiving more new applications for...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport Initiatives (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport, nor decisions on fares. Following the establishment of the National Transport Authority (NTA) in December 2009, the NTA is the statutory body with responsibility for the regulation of fares...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Funding (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: I am of course committed toward improving sustainability mobility options in all areas of the country, including within the Deputy’s particular constituency. Heavily trafficked roads, such as the M50, can record higher levels of nitrogen dioxide, although the Deputy will know from the report that the highest levels are found within 10 metres of the motorway’s edge. Levels...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Network (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: Firstly, I would like to explain that, as Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, the planning, development and construction of individual national road projects is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport Provision (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 95 together. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The NTA has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public transport services by way of Public Services Obligation (PSO) contracts in respect of services that are socially necessary but...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: I thank the Deputy for her question and I know this is an issue she has raised with me before in relation to the old Navan to Kingscourt line. As I have previously stated, the operation of the operation of the rail network, including former lines on the network, is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance. As the Deputy will also recall, the priority funding...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Traffic Management (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: Traffic congestion is an issue in Ireland’s cities and some towns; it can impose economic and social costs on residents, commuters and businesses, and it worsens emissions that impact on air quality and the environment. As our population and economic performance grows, more journeys are created only adding to the issue. Over time, rising travel demand coupled with a scarcity of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: Firstly, let me state that I am keenly aware of the potential role of e-bikes as part of our overall policy in supporting a greater shift to sustainable mobility in people’s daily lives. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, that potential is found in a number of ways, most obviously in extending the potential “reach” of cycling as an attractive daily commuting option for...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Light Rail Projects (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: I thank the Deputy for his interest in this important project and his implicit support for its delivery. At the outset, let us all be clear that any “megaproject” like this requires careful planning and design and must rightly conform to a very high standard of statutory requirements in areas such as environmental protection or procurement for example. In addition to those...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport Initiatives (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport. The operation and provision of services on the rail network are matters for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance, which, in consultation with the National Transport Authority (NTA), is currently examining how best to source additional rolling stock as efficiently...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (2 Oct 2019)

Shane Ross: As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The NTA has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public transport services by way of Public Services Obligation (PSO) contracts in respect of services that are socially necessary but commercially unviable. In relation to services in Co....