Results 19,461-19,480 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: A Navan rail link was included in the draft greater Dublin area transport strategy of the National Transport Authority, NTA, as one of the proposed projects to be delivered by 2042. I am aware that this issue is one that generated a significant number of submissions during the public consultation held by the NTA in November 2020. On the proposal itself, the assessment report undertaken...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: There is no shortage of political will for this project. I am on the record in the House and elsewhere saying I believe it does make strategic sense because what the Deputy says is true. We have developed a completely unsustainable planning, housing, development and transport model particularly in the eastern region but also throughout the country. We have had doughnut development where we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The answer is the Attorney General along with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, have committed huge resources to doing a top-to-bottom review of the planning and development legislation. Originally the Planning Act 2000 was a very good Act but it has been amended so many times and is so complex, multilayered and multifaceted that it is very hard for anyone to implement. The review,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Park-and-Ride Facilities (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: As outlined to the Deputy in previous replies on this matter, the National Transport Authority has established a park-and-ride design office, PRDO, which works with Galway city and county councils and Irish Rail. The focus of the current work of the PRDO is looking at options and the feasibility of zones along corridors for the east and north east serving the city centre and Parkmore. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Park-and-Ride Facilities (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I share the Deputy's concern about the speed of development of a whole range of different transport solutions and sustainable transport solutions in particular. I hope I am not being controversial and I mean no disrespect to anyone in Galway but Galway is probably where we have our biggest and worst problem with regard to sustainable transport. The city has been very successful in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Park-and-Ride Facilities (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: We face a very great issue in meeting our climate change targets. Transport is a particular issue. In addition to the planning review to be carried out with the Attorney General's office, which I mentioned earlier, the Government has agreed to establish fast-track teams in a number of key areas. We need to set targets and work programmes for the remaining three years of this Government....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Projects (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding for the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, the planning, design, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads is a matter for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Projects (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I will contact TII and pass on the Deputy's suggestions in that regard. His first suggestion about the early opening of the section in order that Macroom town would be bypassed makes eminent sense. It is a town that has struggled and suffered from the volume of traffic through it. It is a beautiful town which I think will rise once the bypass is built. I really hope that Cork County...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Projects (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: While I know that road like the back of my hand, I do not know the details of how the junctions and slip roads will work. However, as I said earlier, I will ask Cork County Council and TII to look specifically at how the existing road network fits in. We do not want a major national artery which divides local communities. It needs to give them safe and easy access into the town. I fully...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Projects (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: Since the 2008 recession, a significant backlog of works on regional and local roads has built up in all local authority jurisdictions across the country. The estimated cost of the backlog is in excess of €5 billion. For this reason, grant assistance from the Department continues to be focused on the protection and renewal of the public road network. It bears restating that the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Projects (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I agree. The Deputy is right that the Government formed in 2008 did a lot in very difficult times and with very stretched funding. It prioritised this investment. We need to do likewise in this post-Covid moment, when there is a chance to see a revival of rural Ireland. I accept that. That means we have to fund the new Connecting Ireland rural public transport system, which will be of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Projects (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I should have mentioned in my last response that there is also, I said in my first response, my Department's investment in the community involvement scheme. Since the introduction of that ring-fenced funding in 2018, there has been a significant increase, with funding allocated in two-year tranches. Approximately €14.3 million was paid to local authorities for the community scheme...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Projects (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: We look at that constantly. There was an underspend last year, largely because of Covid. The underspend has never been on the roads programme. We have a machine for building and spending on roads.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Projects (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The underinvestment has been in public transport and active travel.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Projects (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: As for rural Ireland, if there is that underspend, to my mind it is on rural public transport. That is what I would like to focus on.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I am very cognisant of the importance of incentivising greater use of our public transport services; however, I am not convinced that providing free public transport is the most balanced means of achieving this objective.  COVID gave us some insight into the level of funding that might be required in the absence of fare revenue. For example, in 2020, an additional €370 million...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: As the Deputy is aware, a decision to remove passenger services on the Waterford to Rosslare line was made in 2010 and a maintenance arrangement was put in place then to allow for its continued maintenance since then.  I have commissioned a Strategic Rail Review to help inform the development of inter-urban / inter-regional rail on the Island of Ireland over the coming...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Parking Provision (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I understand that there has been extensive engagement on this matter, but am aware that there are different views on the matter too. As a point of principle, I welcome the idea that for projects of the scale of MetroLink opportunities to enhance the public realm are fully explored. I think improving the public realm can provide significant benefits for local communities and improve our...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: In line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Ireland's National Disability Inclusion Strategy, I am fully committed to strengthening public transport offerings and progressively making them accessible for all, especially for Persons with Disabilities, Persons with Reduced Mobility, and Older People.  To this end, all new public...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Network (3 Mar 2022)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, and in line with the National Development Plan, the planning, design and maintenance of individual national roads is a matter for TII,...