Results 27,961-27,980 of 33,392 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (18 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: ​The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including responsibility for administering the SPSV Entry Test, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. 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 Licences Renewals (18 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: ​The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including the issue of SPSV licences, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. 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.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: It feels like only a moment since I saw some of the members, and it is. It is good to be back at the committee to answer members' questions. I am very pleased to appear before the committee to discuss the outcome of the Transport Council in Luxemburg on 11 June. I attended the meeting and represented our country and our interests at the session. I will go through the main agenda items and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for his points. He is correct that we want a compensation programme that encourages airlines to continue to do their best to get people to destinations on time. The original proposal from the Commission on a threshold of five hours and above strikes the right balance and we support it. We share a common analysis on the railway package. We do not have the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I will begin with the Deputy's last question about the general views regarding PSO funding across Europe. It would be fair to say that virtually all member states understand the role PSO funding can play in meeting transport needs, as there is wide acceptance that the private market will not deliver all the transport needs that societies have. The diversity of views, however, is with regard...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: With regard to the road and rail freight points Senator Mooney has put to me, I will begin by dealing with the point about the upgrade of the roads to which he refers. We are constantly working on that to try to make an increase in the funding available for the upgrading of our existing road network. I accept that, due to the cutbacks in maintenance in recent years, many parts of our road...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I assure the Senator that there is no question of the interest in anything being left on the back burner. There is a fire burning brightly under many priorities and projects people and communities want to progress. In terms of the challenge facing me, Irish Rail is looking to progress rail opportunities. The National Roads Authority has very good road projects, not to mention our bus...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: It is, and to give an example of the interplay we now face, I know that the plant to which the Chairman referred has a number of specific needs which we can address at another point but if we look at the development taking place in our timber industry and the changes now taking place in agricultural communities due to the abolition of milk quotas, all of those have profound and direct...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: l will begin with Deputy O'Donovan's question as to current EU funding. I have provided letters of support for a number of projects across the country and these are now with the European Commission and are being considered. On his point about how we support ports and the need for a single Department to have responsibility for ports, the Taoiseach will decide the structure of the Government...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I understand the Deputy's argument although I am not sure I would agree with it because there is so much in each of the areas to which the Deputy refers. For example, there is so much complexity and law in the area of the foreshore issue that in my view it is best left in the Department with expertise in the area. Similarly, areas relating to marine development clearly sit better within the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I can answer that question. The reason is that the European Union has a definition of what is the core transport network and we apply for it. The reason it is different for the UK is because of its different population densities and size. I work to influence the definitions but once the definitions are set it means that different countries can apply for funding in different ways.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I will take a look at the change of definition and how it has changed over time. Based on the definition set by the EU for a core transport network for a country, we then make the very best use of that framework as it is set down and we draw down the funding for it. We have a very good track record in this regard. I cannot say whether there has been a change in that definition over time...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I think we provided it to the Deputy-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: Has the Deputy received this document which I have here?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: The document I have here lists the criteria. If the Deputy tells me what information is not included we will provide it to him.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: We were asked to provide documentation and we provided it. If it does not answer the Deputy's query, if he tells us what is missing we will provide it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: The Commission will look at all the applications. We make an application and the Commission looks at the applications-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: A range of applications from ports to railways and everything else. I can provide that information to the Senator.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: It depends on the project.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (17 Jun 2015)

Paschal Donohoe: I think it is between 10% and 30%. I refer to the questions from Deputy Ellis. I now have the information in reply to his second question about baggage entitlements. Cabin baggage entitlements did not feature in the Commission's original proposal in 2013 but it has emerged that some other member states are looking for it to be included in the regulations currently under discussion. We...