Results 17,901-17,920 of 26,152 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is something we can agree on. We could keep the link up. It is about connectivity, whether it is rail, road, bus or whatever. It could be moved on pretty quickly. Jim Meade and Irish Rail are keen to get going on the commuter rail link in Limerick. It looks to me it could be up and running in two years. I know the Minister is supportive of that. It is on the existing rail network so...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: He gave a figure of about €120 million, whether that is-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is to upgrade the existing rail line. It could be of the order of €200 million. The point I am making is that I agree with public transport but I do not believe these modes are mutually exclusive. The Minister spoke about the northern distributor road. He can ask anyone in Limerick or, when he comes to Limerick, go out to Coonagh and look at the road under construction and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: That will eventually come into State ownership. It is about a window in time. This will come back for public consultation in January. They will do their work and their will be further discussion at that time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Minister would need to be very secure in his facts.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: We have very hard-pressed and hard-working people in Limerick who are contributing to the public purse.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will pull the Minister up on that one because at the end of the day, if we consider the person out there who is earning €1 million and paying a huge amount of tax versus the person who is earning €40,000 and paying tax, the person paying the €40,000 is making just as big of a contribution, in some cases bigger, to the public purse in terms of spending.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: The way one does that is very simple - through balanced regional development. If we do not want Dublin to be a gridlock, we must be able to be competitive. That is why the Atlantic corridor is so important. That is why national aviation policy must have as one of its terms of reference how we address the growth in travel exponentially through Dublin Airport versus Cork and Shannon...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am not disagreeing but many industries are located in Cork, Limerick and Galway and are telling me they want to be able to commute from one to the other. We must have connectivity. Is the €360 million, which is very good in terms of active travel, included in the 2:1 ratio for roads to public transport?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: So by definition, the 2:1 ratio is actually much higher than 2:1 because the €360 million for active travel is really about public transport, which is very positive. We obviously want to push in that direction. The Minister is right. Up to 2025, there is not a huge amount of headroom based on the current spending proposals but many projects will get going from 2025. I want to deal...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I take that point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: But they must be connected by motorway. They are not mutually exclusive arguments. I agree with the Minister about rail, public transport and active travel. I have been at this a long time and I passionately believe that if we are to take that pressure off Dublin and compete with it on an international scale, we need to be equally served. I want to be certain that someone can get from...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: We will not get the synergies. We will differ on that point. We will not get the synergies to make us competitive on a national and international level with the Atlantic corridor unless we get that fast connection between the cities; both rail and road. Whether we like it or not, nearly 80% of the road between Cork and Limerick has no hard shoulder. It is lethal and it does not work. TII...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: That is a totally separate issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: We are lucky in Limerick in that we have an existing rail network, which will cost a lot of taxpayers' money but will not be prohibitive. We have a rail network going by Shannon Airport so we can do the spur. We can upgrade the rail line between Limerick Junction and Limerick city, which will take 20 minutes off a train journey from Cork to Limerick with a direct service. The last missing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: That is okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: One cannot disadvantage the rest of Ireland to sort a problem in Dublin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Yes, that is what the Minister is doing. Is the Minister anti road?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is the Minister anti motorway?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: So why has the Minister put obstacle after obstacle on projects? He has been very direct doing so and that is his prerogative but why? We are being honest here and the Minister needs to be honest with us.