Results 30,301-30,320 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Roads Maintenance Issues (11 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads (including footpaths) in its area, is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993.  Works on such roads are a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants.  The initial selection and...

Roads Bill 2014: Order for Second Stage (6 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Roads Bill 2014: Second Stage (6 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to introduce the Roads Bill 2014, the main purpose of which is to merge the Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, with the National Roads Authority, NRA, by dissolving the RPA and transferring its functions and staff to the NRA. It also provides a timely opportunity to update existing provisions in the Roads Acts. Almost six...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Test (6 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006 (Conferral of Functions) Order 2006 (S.I. No. 477 of 2006) the Road Safety Authority has responsibility for the delivery of the National Car Test.  The RSA has overall responsibility for the operation, oversight, development, quality assurance and delivery of vehicle testing arrangements. The testing function is carried out by Applus+, since...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (6 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The subject matter of this question, which relates to the operation of the National Driver Licensing Service, is the statutory responsible of the Road Safety Authority.  I have therefore referred the question to the Authority for direct reply.  I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Ports Policy (6 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Bantry Bay Harbour transferred to the Port of Cork Company on the 1st of January 2014. The Port of Cork Company have established a subsidiary company, the Bantry Bay Port Company Limited, to manage the harbour. Appointments to the Board are the responsibility of the Port of Cork and four of the eight directors have already been appointed from within the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Capital Programme Expenditure (6 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: My Department received no funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for public transport capital projects in the period 2011-2013. It is important to note that the EIB provide loans that must be repaid with interest. It does not grant aid projects. The EIB had agreed in principle to support Metro North and DART Underground PPP’s before they were postponed. The EIB has...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Promotion (6 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I have no direct role in this matter. These are decisions for Tourism Ireland Limited as the body responsible for promoting the island of Ireland as a visitor destination overseas and are not subject to my approval. I have referred the Deputy's Question to Tourism Ireland 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: Road Traffic Legislation (6 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Following a request from the Minister for Justice and Equality and I in August 2013, a Penalty Point Working Group was established by the Courts Service to report on, among other issues, the measures to be put in place to enable section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 to be commenced. This section provides for a final option of payment of a fixed charge ("a third payment...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driving Test Centres (6 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The provision of the driving testing service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority.  I have therefore referred the question to the Authority for direct reply.  I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Roads Maintenance (6 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 261 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: Traffic Speed Limits (6 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Sections  4 – 8 of the Road Traffic Act 2004 established default speed limits for defined classes of roads, varying from 120 km/h on motorways to 80 km/h on local roads.  Other speed limits that may be applied include: 30 km/h; 50 km/h; and 100km/h. Where it is considered necessary and appropriate, road authorities may vary the default speed limits in their own...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Road conditions can be responsible for collisions. The last figures I saw suggest it is somewhere between 3% and 6%. I very much support the spirit of this amendment but it is covered already in a relatively new EU directive. As the Senator will be aware, the NRA has responsibility for the national roads network. Section 17 of the Roads Act already states that it shall be the general duty...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: There is a lot of merit in the ideas put forward in this amendment. In fact, under the road safety strategy, we have made a commitment that we will: "Make it compulsory for a breakdown emergency pack including a first aid kit, a high visibility vest, a breakdown triangle and a torch to be carried in all vehicles by end 2014." I commend Senator Quinn on making this proposal. We have no...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: That would be very onerous to implement.

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Senator for his amendment and appreciate the motivation behind them. The matter of people driving while intoxicated is a serious one and one on which the law has been enhanced greatly over recent years. We have reduced the legal blood alcohol content limit for all drivers, with lower limits again for learners and newly qualified drivers. In addition, powers for the Garda...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I welcome the Senator's amendment but I believe it is already catered for in existing legislation and in an amendment from Deputy Dooley that was brought through in the Dáil. Under that amendment, which is now contained in this Bill, if an injury has been caused to a person, or any person appears to require assistance, the driver of the vehicle shall offer assistance. This puts the...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Senators for their contributions. When this Bill has been passed and the section commenced there will be three penalty points for three years, not two. The Senator should watch out for those speed limit signs as he drives around. There are speed limits around the country that are not right. That is why we had the speed limit review. I have set up a high level task force...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The speed limit review was published a couple of months ago. The first action will be the removal of the 80 km/h signs on boríns and small roads, which, unfortunately, some people see as a target rather than a limit. We will go back to the future and bring back the old white sign with the grey slash with underneath the words “drive slowly”. This will remind drivers to be...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I suppose the deed is done now, but I am not sure if it was a good idea to group all of these amendments together, given that some of them propose to increase penalty points and others propose to decrease them. The Senator has made a number of proposals to adjust the number of penalty points for particular offences. The Bill, as it stands, contains a large number of adjustments to the...