Results 20,181-20,200 of 21,042 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: I know what the Deputy is referring to but it is a difficult area as one is dealing with how other states would manage this. Unless states have reciprocal arrangements for the recognition of spent convictions, they do not recognise each other's. This is for the good reason that penal systems vary greatly across the world. What may merit a lenient sentence in one country may merit a harsh...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Some form of arrangement will be worked on but it will be very much after the legislation is enacted. The Department will work with jurisdictions which have similar sentencing regimes. This will bring Ireland up to that level which we all appreciate.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Again, I know what the Deputy is referring to but I believe his amendment is unnecessary. The Bill already contains several safeguards regarding requests for information. In the first instance under section 5, a person cannot be required to disclose a spent conviction or the circumstances ancillary thereto. Section 5(2) states when a person is asked about a previous conviction, he or she...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Deputies for their support for the Bill. There is a cross-party perspective regarding the Bill and that is welcome. We have given the amendments proposed by both Deputies a good deal of consideration. As the members will be aware, the law in England and Wales has been amended recently to provided that sentences up to four years are covered by their Rehabilitation of Offenders...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: We have made it clear from the start that this legislation is aimed at the person who has made a mistake, perhaps in his or her youth, and now wants to get on with life. We all know of such stories. It is clear this is not a charter for criminality and a line must be drawn somewhere. The line drawn is as per the two-conviction limit and is based on the premise that people deserve a second...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including issues related to taxi branding, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009.    I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days. 

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Transport (13 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Longford Rural Transport Programme has been allocated €76,423.00 of the 2013 RTP budget from January to June 2013, with a further proposed, allocation of €76,423.00 from July to December. Additionally, €17,348.50 of Free Travel Pass funding has been allocated to Longford Rural Transport Programme from January to June, 2013, with a further proposed, allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (13 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including vehicle standards, is a matter for the NTA under the Public Transport Regulation Act, 2009.  I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Transport (13 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Kerry Community Transport Limited has been allocated €287,429.50 of the 2013 RTP budget from January to June 2013, with a further proposed allocation of €287,429.00 from July to December. Additionally, €88,726.50 of Free Travel Pass funding has been allocated to Kerry Community Transport Limited from January to June, 2013, with a further proposed, allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (12 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Section 13 of the Taxi Regulation Bill provides for a prohibition on the transfer of an Small Public Service Vehicle (SPSV) licence.  I am cognisant of the fact that in the event of the death of an SPSV licence holder this prohibition could have an undue negative impact on the continuity of an SPSV business operated as a family concern. On review of this matter therefore I...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (12 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 677 and 681 together. The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including vehicle standards, is a matter for the National Transport Authority under the Public Transport Regulation Act, 2009. In accordance with Action 10 of the Taxi Regulation Review Report 2011, the vehicle age limit at licence issue or licence renewal for taxi,...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (12 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: I am informed by the National Transport Authority (NTA) that as of the end of February this year, the total number of active SPSV vehicle licences is 22,810 and the total number of active SPSV driver licences is 33,717.  I understand that a reliable count of inactive licences is not available, as this figure would change nearly every day due to the late renewal of some licences.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (12 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: The view of the Taxi Regulation Review Group, giving rise to Action 40 of the Review Report, is that it is necessary to have a system that links SPSV licenced drivers to specific small public service vehicles (SPSVs) so that the identification of the authorised driver of an SPSV is available in real time.  This is in the general interest of consumers who use...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (12 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including vehicle standards, is a matter for the NTA under the Public Transport Regulation Act, 2009.  I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days. 

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (7 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 and 263 together. I am informed by the National Transport Authority (NTA) that the current number of SPSV driver licence holders is 33,717 and there are currently 22,830 SPSV vehicle licences. There are eight enforcement officers in the NTA. An Garda Síochána also plays a major part in the enforcement regime.  ...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Transport (7 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Westmeath Rural Community Transport Association Ltd has been allocated €129,353.00 of the 2013 RTP budget from January to June 2013, with a further proposed, allocation of €129,353.00 from July to December. Additionally, €32,234.50 of Free Travel Pass funding has been allocated to Westmeath Rural Community Transport Association Ltd from January to June, 2013, with a...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Public Transport Access (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Senator Conway is a gentleman whom I know well. I congratulate him on his media performance last Friday night.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Public Transport Access (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: I will bring the matter of the provision of a wheelchair lift in Ennis railway station to the attention of the NTA. I will keep the Senator informed of developments in that regard. The matter has been raised previously in the House. I assure the Senator that I will be in touch with him. I refer to the principal issue raised by Senator Conway. Regulation (EU) 181/2011, which came into...

Topical Issue Debate: Road Safety (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: I thank Deputy Ann Phelan for raising this important issue. I know it is of concern to her as she has spoken to me about it privately. The poor fitting of replacement vehicle windscreens is currently a consumer affairs matter relating to the delivery of a service, for which the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport has no functional responsibility. However, if there are apparent flaws...

Topical Issue Debate: Road Safety (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Both the Department and the RSA would welcome such developments and in general support any efforts that will improve the standard of the national fleet including upskilling and training of those involved in the maintenance and repair of vehicles in the national fleet. In the meantime, in the absence of such industry-wide agreement on this issue, it is each vehicle owner's responsibility to...