Results 18,181-18,200 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

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

Eamon Ryan: Yes, of course, but there is a strategic direction set out in the NDP. It is significant and requires a switch towards compact, low-carbon and balanced regional development. That is why Limerick rail, Cork rail and BusConnects in all these cities are important. Going back to low-carbon development, there is a legislative force now in that the climate Act requires us to halve emissions in...

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

Eamon Ryan: By all means, we will expedite that, but that on its own will not deliver the emissions reductions we need.

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

Eamon Ryan: No one is stopping that and no one is disagreeing that road safety has to come first. We want Cork and Limerick cities to thrive and to grow. Looking at what is happening in other cities across Europe and indeed the world, where is the investment and where is the quality of life really increasing? That will happen in those cities that invest in the public realm, public transport and the...

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

Eamon Ryan: No, it is not. The reality is we have to look at the development plan as a 20-year project through to 2040. There will be significant further budget availability. The basic maths are that we have €35 billion allocated for this decade. Roughly €13 billion of that will be used to maintain the existing road and rail network. Most of the money will be spent on roads. We have...

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

Eamon Ryan: I will finish the point because it is central to everything. Of the €22 billion remaining, we have committed €4 billion to active travel, which is correct and no one disagrees with that. Of the remainder, there will be €12 billion for public transport and €6 billion for roads. That €6 billion also has to provide for an endless number of bypasses and other...

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

Eamon Ryan: Agreed.

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

Eamon Ryan: I would welcome further streamlining. As the Deputy said, this is complicated because the Attorney General is carrying out a wider view of our planning system. Making legislative amendments in advance or outside of that requires us to be careful because we do not want to add to what is a spaghetti of amendments to the original 2001 Act. It would be better to do that in tandem with the...

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

Eamon Ryan: It is not that easy.

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

Eamon Ryan: I will follow up on that.

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

Eamon Ryan: I do not have the details with me, but I will provide them to the Deputy separately, along with the Department's analysis. There is another positive and progressive development which will allow, in a limited number of circumstances, for other operators such as Eir to be able to deliver for NBI within the intervention area where it is much more economic and efficient for that to happen. That...

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

Eamon Ryan: No. The issue is not undermining the NBI contract or the approach being taken.

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

Eamon Ryan: There is leeway in terms of getting other operators to provide some of that in cases where they can do so in an economic and efficient manner. The benefit for the country will be when we roll this out, combined with the recent increased investment by Virgin Media and SIRO, as well as Eir, the NBI and other operators. We are within grasp of the prize of having what will probably be the most...

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

Eamon Ryan: I asked my Department that question this morning and it came back with real reassurance that it was very confident a proper contract approach has been taken and there is due diligence.

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

Eamon Ryan: I asked officials in my Department that question this morning and they reassured me they are confident that the proper contract approach has been taken and that there is due diligence.

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

Eamon Ryan: I will come up with that also.

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

Eamon Ryan: Not to my understanding.

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

Eamon Ryan: It is the end of January.

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

Eamon Ryan: There is a genuine issue here. We have run into various difficulties owing to Covid, the section 254 approval process and, recently, accessing ducting.

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

Eamon Ryan: I believe they have been overcome. While we need to accelerate to overcome these difficulties, I am genuinely reassured by the fact that the model works. Once contracts are made, they are being used. It is working. It is always the case with big projects such as this, particularly in technology and telecommunications, that there are issues to overcome. Once we overcome them, we will...

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

Eamon Ryan: I would imagine it will be the following year. It may take that long to catch up.