Results 30,181-30,200 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Roads Maintenance (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 849 together. 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 these roads are funded from local authorities' own resources and are supplemented by State road grants.  However, the initial...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aviation Issues (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Weston Airport is a privately owned, non-State aerodrome which has been operating since 1938. It is licensed by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). I am aware of the Memorandum of Understanding to which the Deputy refers. However I am not a party to it. For the Deputy's information, the IAA is a notice party under the planning and development regulations so that details of any...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Vehicle Clamping (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Programme for Government contains a commitment “to legislate to regulate the vehicle clamping industry”. Therefore, in late 2011 I asked the Joint Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and Gaeltacht to provide views on the initial draft of the legislation. The Committee carried out a number of hearings on the matter and published detailed recommendations on the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Harbour Authorities (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: All annual reports and accounts from 2001 to 2012 are available on the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company website. The annual reports and accounts are also required by lay to be laid before the Dáil when approved by Government. This has also been done for the years in question. I have not yet received the annual report and accounts for 2013 and expect to do so in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Infrastructure (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The evaluation of transport infrastructure investment is a constant process within my Department and its agencies. This work is a vital aspect of ensuring value for money is achieved. As an aid to developing future capital investment plans, work on a Strategic Framework for Investment in Land Transport is on-going within my Department. The completion...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Promotion (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Figures published recently by the CSO show that 2013 was an excellent year for Irish tourism with the total number of overseas visits growing by 7.2%. All of our main markets grew compared to 2012 and we enjoyed our highest ever number of visits from North America. Part of the success last year was certainly related to The Gathering with research suggesting that in the region of 250,000...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Legislative Programme (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: On 21 January the Government approved the drafting of the Sport Ireland Bill. The Bill will provide for the establishment of a new statutory sports body, Sport Ireland, which will merge the functions of the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority. Officials in my Department had discussions with the Council and the Authority during the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sports Sponsorship (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: My position in relation to the matter of sports sponsorship by the alcohol industry remains as I outlined to the House previously. I have no update to provide at this stage.  Arising from a Government decision of 22 October 2013 regarding measures to deal with alcohol misuse, a working group has been established by the Department of the Taoiseach...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Airport Development Projects (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127, 789, 790 and 791 together. As I informed the the Deputy on 28 January, both Dublin and Cork Airports are owned and managed by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) which operates under a clear commercial mandate.  The development of Cork Airport and the promotion of new routes at the Airport are matters for DAA and Cork...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sports Funding (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Irish Sports Council, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the promotion, development and co-ordination of sport, including the development of strategies for increasing participation in sport. The Council also has responsibility for the allocation of funding to the National Governing Bodies of Sport. As the Deputy’s question is a matter...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aviation Issues (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: EU rules govern the granting of Air Operator Certificates and Air Carrier Operating Licences (Regulations 965/2012 and 1008/2008 respectively).  The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is the statutory body responsible for granting  Air Operator Certificates and the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) is the statutory body responsible for issuing Air Carrier Operating...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Industry Issues (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: In accordance with the Tourist Traffic Acts, approved accommodation providers are obliged to display their registered charges in bedrooms.   The upper and lower limits on accommodation charges are set by the accommodation provider who can also set charges for a number of time periods.  If a guest is charged more than the relevant upper limit there is a formal...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Infrastructure (18 Feb 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 planning, design and implementation of individual road projects, such as the Galway City Outer Bypass and the M17/M18 motorway projects, is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Services Provision (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Ireland has a bilateral air transport agreement with China since 1998. The agreement provides the legal framework for scheduled air services between the two countries and under the agreement it is open to any Irish, EU or Chinese airline to operate services between the two countries subject to the terms of the agreement. The establishment of such a service, however, has to be market...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Cross-Border Co-operation (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I maintain regular contact with my counterparts in Northern Ireland under the auspices of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) - Transport Sectoral.  The last meeting was on 28th November 2013 and the next meeting is scheduled for April this year. The major cross-border infrastructure projects we discuss are the A5 and the Enterprise train service. We have also discussed the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects Status (18 Feb 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 planning, design and implementation of individual road projects such as the N71 road is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Noting the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Garda Investigations (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: An Garda Siochana have powers under Irish law to inspect civil aircraft where there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that an offence has been committed. As I have stated in the House previously, I am advised that the previous Government received unique assurances, from the highest level of a friendly state, that no extraordinary rendition had taken place through...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Harbour Authorities (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The value of the assets transferred from State ownership to Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company on its vesting day of 3 March 1997 was £27 million, in accordance with Section 8(3)(i) of the Harbours Act 1996.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Programmes (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Both IT projects, Seafarers and Ship Register, are included in my Department's plans for this year. The development and implementation of the Seafarers Register is currently out to tender and responses are due on 6th March 2014. The Ship Register is still in the scoping phase and has yet to reach the tender stage. It would not be appropriate to specify the budgets for projects...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Drainage Schemes Issues (18 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Section 76 subsection (1) of the Roads Act 1993 empowers road authorities to construct and maintain drains on any land for the purpose of draining water from, or preventing water flowing onto, a public road. It also provides that road authorities may use any land for the temporary storage or the preparation of materials required for the construction or maintenance of a public road. ...