Results 2,461-2,480 of 9,362 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: Yes.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: We can look into that. I am aware the committee wants to hold hearings and feed into this. I do not want to rush it; I want it to be meaningful.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: I will take those points on board.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: It will.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: On the timing, the Department is looking into how best to proceed. I would like to start with the regional airports programme because the glaring issue for Ireland is the regions. We saw that during the summer.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: They are.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: On that exact point, we have introduced a new eligibility criterion whereby airports get funding, under the regional airports programme, for sustainability projects, including those related to electric vehicles, fire engines and emissions reduction. All that is part of it. This will all feed into a new regional airports programme and, therefore, there are sustainability objectives. This is...
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: I have had regular meetings with the RSA on this. We all know about the backlog owing to Covid. Everything needs to be done by the RSA to ensure it is recruiting driving testers. It has to have an open procurement process because it is part of EU law.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: Considerable pressure is being put on the RSA by the Department and me to deal with the backlogs. There is a priority list whereby people can apply to get a driving test at shorter notice if under pressure. However, I too am unhappy about the backlog. The RSA is recruiting. We are in regular contact with the authority.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: Earlier this year, the RSA conducted a review of the current needs of the driving test service. It recommended raising the number of permanent driver testers employed by it from 100 to 130. The Department approved that in June 2022, subject to the condition that the new testers would be recruited by open competition. The criterion on open competition is EU law. The recruitment process was...
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: That is under the remit of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I am aware that he met the committee members on this matter and understand he will be going to the Government shortly with the report. I can refer him to the Deputy on this.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: I will get the Deputy a date.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: Yes. I will get the Minister to revert to the committee directly.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: No, it does not but the Deputy can ask the question and I can try to get the answer for him. If I cannot get it for him today, I will get back to him.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: I will come back to the Deputy on that. Is that okay? It is the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan's side of the house.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: Is the Chair referring to the open recruitment?
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: After considering the RSA's request, the Department gave its approval in June 2022, subject to the condition that the new testers were to be recruited as part of an open competition. Under EU law, they had to be recruited through an open competition.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: I know but we have to adhere to EU law.
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: I will double-check whether the RSA came back to the Department in respect of the 30 testers following that open competition and revert to the committee on the issue. I acknowledge members' concerns. I am not here to defend the RSA in any shape or form. There are high-level meetings in which the Department and I put pressure on the RSA to ensure it can reduce the backlog. I commit to...
- Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022) Hildegarde Naughton: I am following up on that. I have been working on licence exchange agreements between different countries. A substantial amount of work has been done behind the scenes with Argentina, North Macedonia and Moldova. Prior to the war in Ukraine, we were looking at Ukrainian haulage drivers. As a result of work at EU level, there is now a training course Ukrainian HGV drivers can do to be...