Results 3,121-3,140 of 9,362 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Accidents (2 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is responsible for compiling road traffic collision statistics and for conducting research into this and other road safety related matters. I have therefore referred this question to the RSA 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 (2 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: A port capacity study is currently underway and is due for completion shortly.  Upon its finalisation a full review of National Ports Policy will commence later this year which will look at the overall ports policy framework. As I informed the Deputy towards the end of 2021, given Ireland’s increased ambition in the area of Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) and pending a review of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Airport Security (2 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: The passenger experience at Dublin Airport is currently falling far short of the service expected by Government at our largest State airport.  The daa has the statutory responsibility to operate and manage Dublin Airport including all the operations associated with security screening at the Airport. I am acutely aware that the excessively long queues and wait times experienced by...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: International Agreements (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Energy Charter Treaty is a political declaration on international energy co-operation with 53 signatories and contracting parties, including all EU member states, except Italy. It was signed in 1994 and entered into legal force in 1998. Since then, the Energy Charter Treaty has provided a multilateral framework for energy co-operation. It promotes energy security through the operation...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: International Agreements (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: The modernisation of the treaty was initiated to respond to a world where the importance of renewables was paramount and to the policy objectives of the EU and non-EU countries to phase out fossil fuels in favour of renewables. That is essential. The Government's position is, therefore, that the best outcome of the treaty-modernisation negotiations is to align the treaty with the Paris...

Adaption Grants for Older People and People with a Disability: Motion [Private Members] (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputies for tabling this motion and for their valuable contributions. As set out in the programme for Government, Our Shared Future, the Government believes the State has a fundamental role in enabling older people and people with disabilities to remain living independently in their own homes. The opportunity to discuss and debate this very important issue this morning is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Postcode System (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: Capita Business Support Services Ireland, trading as Eircode, assigns Eircodes to new property addresses using a valid postal address and verified geo-locations. An Post collects information on all new and existing buildings, as well as changes to existing addresses and Ordnance Survey Ireland provides the geo-locations for these buildings.  An Post GeoDirectory (APG), a subsidiary...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Coast Guard Service (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: My Department is responsible for the Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) building programme – essentially aimed at ensuring Coast Guard Units along the coast are fit for purpose. The programme is managed through  the Office of Public Works (OPW) from planning design to build and on-going maintenance, with legal assistance as necessary from the Chief State Solicitor’s Office....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Parking Provision (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: Disabled parking bays on public roads and in local authority car parks are a limited resource that must be managed in such a way as to ensure that they are available for those for whom they are essential.  Anyone parking in one of these specially designated spaces without holding a valid permit is taking a space away from someone who genuinely needs it and depriving that person of access...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of the An Post Network: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Acting Chairman. I thank the committee for the opportunity to give an update today on the future of the post office network. I am joined today by principal officer, Ms Jenny O'Hora from the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. Colleagues will be aware that An Post is a commercial State body with a mandate to act commercially. It has a statutory...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of the An Post Network: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: The payment will begin on 1 January 2023. The pandemic relief fund was agreed and put in place. I worked on it with An Post, the IPU and officials in the Department. It comprised €8.5 million over 18 months and will come to an end on 31 December, hence this intervention's start date of 1 January. The Deputy's next question was on the €10 million following the Grant...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of the An Post Network: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: Yes. I will explain. First, I commend Ms O'Hora, who spearheaded this matter in the Department with her team. This unprecedented development was hard fought for. This is the first time in the history of the State we have had State intervention in the post office network. A huge amount of work happened. I will give the Deputy a little background on the €10 million. There has been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of the An Post Network: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: -----figure on that. We engaged and the Department engaged with officials in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. There were two economists involved in this as well, so again this is all based on evidence and looking at the scale of population these post offices were going to service. That is where the €10 million has come from, namely, through an awful lot of research...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of the An Post Network: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: As postmasters are independent - they are sole traders - it was hard to get a clear picture of the value and what was happening across the country. They are not State employees. The economists, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and An Post fed into this to assess the population, the distance within populations of access to a post office and the services they provide. There...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of the An Post Network: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: That is a very good question. It is like a pyramid system and my focus is on the post offices that need the support the most. They are the target area. What I wanted to do with this package is ensure there is no postmaster who is closing because he or she feels his or her post office is not viable. The number one target here was to ensure our post office network is intact. If anyone...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of the An Post Network: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: On the interdepartmental report, this is very clear. When I came into this role this was my number one priority, that is, trying to bottom out the offline services in that report. It was very clear, and I think the postmasters knew this themselves, that the offline services report was not going to be the silver bullet in itself. However, we have to look at providing offline services not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of the An Post Network: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Hildegarde Naughton: I have answered that previously with Deputy O'Rourke. Again, this was work on foot of information coming from An Post, working with officials in my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and economists to look at quantifying the social value. It is important to say as well the pandemic relief fund is an €8.5 million fund over 18 months. What I am announcing...