Results 2,481-2,500 of 9,052 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Obligation (22 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: I can advise the Deputy that my Department is currently considering a request from Shannon Airport in relation to the establishment of a Public Service Obligation (PSO) route to provide EU Hub connectivity from Shannon Airport. To date policy on regional airports has been largely influenced by the need to optimise conditions for regional development and connectivity. While the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety (22 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: My Department provides funding to local authorities to assist in road improvements, including safety improvements. Local authorities, as the bodies responsible for roads in their area, decide where targeted investment is needed for safety reasons. This means that the objectives of the kind of working groups and plans which the Deputy is suggesting are already taken into account. I would...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: Section 32 of the Irish Aviation Authority Act 1993 provides: The Minister shall, at least once in the period of 3 years beginning on the vesting day [of the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, 1 January 1994] and in each subsequent period of 3 years... appoint a person to carry out an examination of the performance by the company of its functions in so far as they relate to the application and...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: If the period provided in section 66 was five years, then it would require the appointment of a person to undertake the performance of that examination by 7 May 2025. With the amendment I am bringing forward, which stipulates a three-year time period, section 66 would require the appointment of a person to undertake the performance of that examination by 7 May 2023.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: In September 2020, following an open competition, Mr. Diarmuid Ó Conghaile was appointed aviation regulator and CEO designate of the IAA on a fixed-term contract of seven years. In August of this year, Mr. Ó Conghaile announced his intention to resign his position. He will cease employment with the IAA on 31 October this year. The IAA is in the process of running a recruitment...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: Section 68, which amends section 38 of the Act of 1993, provides that the first chief executive of the new IAA appointed after the commencement of the section shall be appointed for a period not exceeding seven years and each subsequent chief executive shall be appointed by the Minister after consultation with the directors of the IAA for a period not exceeding seven years. The Minister...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: On Senator Craughwell's amendment, the 1993 Act specifies a term of up to seven years for the chief executive of the IAA and this Bill mirrors that. In terms of the complexity around a stand-alone aviation regulator and what is envisaged here, having that window of up to seven years would be important given the importance of the role and the restructuring, which is what this Bill is all...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: As I have stated in previous addresses to the Seanad around the expertise, and as Members know, the IAA has extensive and highly regarded technical expertise as it operates as part of the executive framework, but with an obligation to decide on matters within its own remit, and it works on an independent basis. A different approach may be appropriate where it is necessary to have expertise...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: I have already replied to the expertise issue. It is important to get the message out there that it is open to anyone to apply for this position. It is an open competition. They will be running a recruitment campaign for a replacement CEO. There will be two processes, one through the Public Appointments Service and there will also be an executive search company in place to support the...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: Yes, the board will appoint the interim CEO designate.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Senators for giving me the opportunity to respond to this matter. As is established practice in State agency restructurings, transfers or mergers, the pension provision currently being experienced by employees should not be impacted. Employees should be no better nor no worse off under the new arrangements. The Bill provides safeguards regarding this and ensuring this has been a...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: I shall speak to the amendments. The Schedule to the Irish Aviation Authority Act 1993 sets out the annexes to the Chicago convention on civil aviation for which the IAA has functional responsibility.This group of amendments, or technical amendments, are to provide clarity regarding the functional responsibility of the IAA in respect of annexes 12 and 16. Annexe 12 of the Chicago convention...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: No, that is not the case.

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: Ireland enjoys a strong position on the ICAO league table for the effective implementation of global aviation standards, which place Ireland in eighth position in the world ranking of 193 states and in second position among EU member states. Ireland's compliance with ICAO standards and recommended practices is subject to audit by the ICAO under its universal safety oversight audit programme....

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: To reiterate, Ireland’s compliance with ICAO is subject to continual monitoring approaches and oversight systems. They are in place. This is a continuous process, as I said. In addition, as part of this Bill, there will be a requirement for the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, to prepare and submit to the Minister, by 30 April every year, a safety aviation performance statement....

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: Just to clarify, is that in relation to the air accident investigation report?

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: I apologise. Can the Senator repeat his question? I need to-----

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: First, just to clarify, we have oversight by ICAO and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, EASA, and obviously we want to continuously improve. The IAA has accepted all of the recommendations of the air accident investigation report. It is important to reiterate that. I said this previously in this House. We all have the same goal, which is ensuring that we have best practice and...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: Just to clarify, as I said at a previous hearing in the Seanad, the Department has committed also to reviewing the issue of expertise in the Department. I just want to reiterate that point.I again state that all the recommendations have been accepted by the Department and are being acted on and being progressed. If the Cathaoirleach permits me, I wish to clarify from earlier in regard to...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: I have spoken to it.