Results 29,501-29,520 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Tolls (29 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme.  The implementation of individual national road schemes (such as the Dublin Port Tunnel) which provide for tolling, is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2007. Moreover, the statutory power to levy...

Topical Issue Debate: Industrial Disputes (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: First, industrial relations issues are primarily matters for the company. The State's 25% shareholding does not allow it to interfere in the management of the airline. The largest shareholding is held by Ryanair and the staff and State shareholding is not combined. It is often the case that the interests of the State and staff differ. IMPACT'S Aer Lingus cabin crew members recently...

Topical Issue Debate: Industrial Disputes (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am not blaming management or the unions for the current situation. As is the case in all industrial relations disputes there are two sides to every story. It appears to me that Deputy Daly is the one not listening. Based on her contribution, it would appear that she has only heard one side of the story, that of the unions, and has decided to repeat it here in this Chamber. The Deputy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: We are still over and back discussing it with them. They have exempted a small number of roads that straddle the Border but are still refusing to exempt the A5, which we want exempted. We have been considering, as a potential alternative solution, joining the UK system, introducing the same system in the Republic and reducing the road tax for heavy goods vehicles, HGVs, to compensate them....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: No. In the UK, road tax for HGVs is quite low and includes the £10 per journey levy. Most people registered in the UK pay road tax as well as a standard charge, which allows them to use the roads freely. The only people who pay the £10 are those who are not road taxed in the UK. If we joined the UK system, anyone road taxed in the Republic would be able to use the roads in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know. Probably a year or two. There are knock-on implications, which is always the problem with these measures.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am not sure what the story is with the standards. I am sure there are, given that there are detailed standards for everything in road building. It may be that the standards changed at a certain time, leading to an inconsistency. I will check it out. The Senator and I may have corresponded on this matter previously. There is technology that allows the lights to know when a car is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I do not believe there is a formal proposal. The EU standard is 4 m height; therefore, there is no proposal to change heights or weights throughout EU member states. Individual states have the right to apply different weights and heights in their own jurisdiction and it is up to member states to agree to it on a bilateral basis. We want to ensure nothing undermines this position. To...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: What we plan to do in the coming years on road safety is outlined in the strategy which contains approximately 140 actions. They all relate to education, engineering and enforcement. Road safety is largely a domestic competence and I would prefer not to see the European Union getting too involved in domestic road traffic legislation as it affects speed limits. It is up to every country to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Nothing is imminent. There is mutual recognition of disqualification from driving. Standardising the penalty points system throughout the European Union would be extremely complicated because what is an offence in some countries is not in others. Some countries have many penalty point offences, while others do not. It is a difficult issue. Under agenda item 9(c), there will be an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: None of this relates to the European Council meeting but-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: It does. The tiering of ports largely follows the TEN-T guidelines as to what is a core port and what is not, and what is on TEN-T and what is not. Some take the view that governments can just put anything they want on the trans-European networks, but they cannot. There are certain criteria, and the ports that meet those criteria are Dublin, Cork, Shannon-Foynes, Rosslare and Waterford....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: No, the ports policy has been approved by Government.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: On the urban mobility question, I was not there for the debate so I do not know the real details of it. The Deputy makes a very good point on technology. It is absolutely the case that technology is ahead of legislation, but it is very hard to write legislation in anticipation of technologies that might or might not develop. I do not know much about the new driverless car, so I might take...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for his questions. Next week's Council meeting will deal with the technical aspects of the fourth railway package, such as safety, interoperability and the European Railway Agency. We will not discuss the opening of the railway market but it will be discussed at a later stage. International traffic is liberalised. For example, the Belfast-Dublin route could be operated...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Transport Council: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am pleased to appear before the joint committee in advance of the Transport Council in Luxemburg on 5 June. I will briefly outline the outcome of the last Transport Council on 14 March in Luxemburg. I will then focus on the agenda for the Transport Council on 5 June and run through the main agenda items and some of the important any other business, AOB, items. I will welcome questions...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motor Tax Collection (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: There are arrangements in place whereby my Department, through the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) system, remind motorists that motor tax is due through the issue of a motor tax reminder notice, some 3-4 weeks before the due date. These notices are generated automatically and some 400,000 issue at the end of each month. Departments are required to implement...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Obligation Services (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 134 together.   The issues raised are matters for the National Transport Authority (NTA) and I have referred the Deputy's questions to the NTA for direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Semi-State Bodies (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The credit rating of the commercial semi-State companies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the companies themselves.  I have however forwarded your question to those companies for their direct response to you.  If you do not receive a response within 10 working days please contact my private office.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Obligation Services (28 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Decisions in relation to the overall funding for public transport Public Service Obligation (PSO) services provided to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for 2015 and future years will be made in the context of the 2015 Estimates process and the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure 2015-2017 currently underway. In my submission to the  Comprehensive Expenditure Review I...