Results 29,581-29,600 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: There is no point in publishing a draft solution if it is not going to get the support of parties. The whole point of a negotiation like this is to try to identify the gaps between the various parties - a number of gaps exist in this case - and come to a solution step by step. That is what the expert panel is doing. The panel will report to us again at the end of the month. I hope that in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects Status (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In my earlier reply to a similar question in relation to the N59, I explained that the capital funding available for roads at present means that we have to prioritise the protection of the existing investment in road infrastructure as against major new expenditure on road building.   I pointed out that my general approach is to keep under review projects at various...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sale of State Assets (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In 2012, the State's 25.1% shareholding in Aer Lingus was included among the assets to be considered for sale under the State Asset Disposal programme in the context of the EU/IMF support programme. The Government agreed  at that time that the stake would only be sold when market conditions were favourable and if acceptable terms and an acceptable price could be secured. However,...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Accidents Data (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As of yesterday,14 May, the total number of fatalities on our roads in 2014 was 67. That is the same number for the same period last year. While it is too early in the year to be certain, I am hopeful that the year on year rise in fatalities experienced in 2013 will not be repeated this year. All of the agencies involved continue to examine the causes of road deaths and...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Ports Policy (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In 2013 I published a new National Ports Policy. As is stated in that, port masterplanning is in line with international best practice and is consistent with policy to improve integrated planning for all modes of transport. All of our Ports of National Significance (Tier 1) have in recent years published such documents and I welcome the initiative shown by the ports in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Tolls (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have overall responsibility for  policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The implementation of individual national road schemes 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 tolls...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Accidents Data (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In 2013, 190 people died in collisions on roads in this country. This was an increase of 17% over the 2012 figures, which was the safest year on Irish roads since records began in 1959. As of the 9th May, 63 people have been killed on our roads this year, a reduction of 3 on the same period last year.   Garda statistics indicate that there were 318 serious injuries in 2013, an...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The National Transport Authority (NTA)  which has statutory responsibility for developing public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA)  is currently undertaking a technical consultancy to assess the long-term rail transport requirements of the North Dublin/Fingal corridor, extending from Finglas to Malahide and including Dublin Airport and Swords. ...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects Status (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 49 together. As Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme.  The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Ports Policy (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy is aware, I published a new National Ports Policy in March 2013 which seeks to recognise the importance of all of our ports while acknowledging the differences between them and their particular roles in national, regional and local economies and communities. The policy categorises the State owned ports into - Ports of National Significance (Tier 1): Dublin, Cork and Shannon -...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Services Provision (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: A major consideration for the Government in its decision to separate Shannon airport from the DAA was the serious decline of passenger traffic at the airport over recent years. Shannon airport was loss making from 2008 to 2012 and passenger numbers plummeted by over 60% from a peak in 2007 of 3.62 million to 1.39 million in 2012.  A consistent decline on this scale was always going to be...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Services Provision (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 27 together. These questions relate to the application by Norwegian Air International to the US authorities for a foreign air carrier permit to operate flights into the US. Norwegian Air International (NAI) was granted an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and an Operating licence by the Irish Aviation Authority and the Commission for Aviation...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Roads Maintenance (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities own resources supplemented by State road grants.  The selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for each local...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Community Involvement Scheme (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 36 together. Local authorities were issued with a circular on 1 April this year inviting applications for funding under the Community Involvement Scheme with a deadline of 2 May 2014. My Department recently received applications from 25 county councils for funding under this scheme of grants.  All of these applications are...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Funding (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Coast Guard, which is a division of the Irish Maritime Administration in my Department, administers mountain rescue grants in two parts; to individual mountain rescue teams and to the co-ordinating body Mountain Rescue Ireland, which is an all-island body. Despite the constraints on public finance these payments have not reduced in my tenure as...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Industry (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The approved Tourism Ireland Business Plan for 2014 targets growth in visitor numbers to Ireland of 4% this year and growth in associated visitor revenue of 7%.  Priority overseas markets will again be the United States, Great Britain, Germany and France, which together deliver almost three-quarters of all our overseas visitors but promotions will also...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Offences (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Criminal Justice Working Group was established in March on foot of a recommendation in the Garda Inspectorate Report on the Fixed Charge Processing System.  The Group is jointly chaired by my Department and the Department of Justice and Equality and comprises representatives of all relevant Departments and agencies involved in the area of road traffic legislation. To date, the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects Status (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: At the most recent North South Ministerial Council Transport Sectoral meeting on 16th April 2014, the Council noted that following the Court judicial review ruling on 8th April 2013, work was progressing on an Appropriate Assessment process to address impacts of the A5 scheme on all designated environmental areas and to propose mitigation and that the completed reports would be subject...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Improvement Schemes (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities own resources supplemented by State road grants.    The selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for each local...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Services (15 May 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Unfortunately, CIÉ is in a difficult financial situation and is dependent on continued bank funding. Cost saving measures have already been agreed in Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus and savings need to be made in Irish Rail. Despite the introduction of a number of cost reduction measures, Irish Rail has incurred accumulated losses of over €147m in the past six...