Results 3,141-3,160 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (31 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 257 together. The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads, in its area, is a statutory function of each individual local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants paid by my Department. State road grants paid in 2008 are set out in the following table. The allocations which will be authorised for...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (31 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Apart from a minor adjustment (€1.1 million) there has been no reduction in the allocation announced on 28 January 2009 by the National Roads Authority for its national roads investment programme or in the allocations for regional and local roads notified to local authorities on 2 February 2009. All public expenditure is, however, subject to review in the context of the forthcoming...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (31 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 259 and 260 together. The Minister has responded to the correspondence received from the Irish Road Haulage Association.

Written Answers — Transport 21: Transport 21 (31 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Significant progress has been made since the beginning of Transport 21 and this progress will continue in 2009. The Transport 21 projects that will begin in 2009 are: the N21 Castleisland Bypass; the Citywest Luas line; the Dublin City Centre rail resignalling project; the third tranche of the Railway Safety Programme. Construction will continue during the year on 11 major projects including...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (31 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: The total capital allocation to the National Roads Authority (NRA) for its national roads investment programme for 2009 is €1.44 billion. All but approximately €50m of this year's allocation on national roads is already contractually committed and does not require prior Department of Finance approval. This contractually committed expenditure will see us move into the final construction...

Written Answers — Air Services: Air Services (26 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Statutory responsibility for regulation of the travel trade rests with the Commission for Aviation Regulation. As the existing legislative framework for the regulation of the travel trade has been in existence since 1982 in May last year I asked the Commission for Aviation Regulation, to undertake a comprehensive review of the travel trade legislation. The purpose of the review was to...

Written Answers — Taxi Regulations: Taxi Regulations (26 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I understand that the Joint Committee on Transport has not finalised its proposals relating to the taxi industry. When they become available I will consider them insofar as they relate to my statutory responsibilities.

Order of Business (26 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: We do not need "Scrap Saturday" now that we have Deputy Ring.

Written Answers — Park and Ride Facilities: Park and Ride Facilities (25 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Under Transport 21, funding is available for the development of park and ride facilities by Iarnród Éireann, by the RPA, and by Local Authorities in the GDA and the regional cities, either as stand-alone projects or as part of larger rail based investments. Iarnród Éireann has begun a network-wide programme of expanding or developing new car parks, with the assistance of Exchequer...

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (25 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: The Metro North project is being procured by the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) as a PPP on the Design, Build, Finance and Maintain model with a separate Operator contract. In January last year, the Government approved the funding structure for the Metro North PPP, including an Exchequer provision for advance works ahead of the main PPP contract and a capital contribution during...

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (25 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: The Metro West project will be procured by the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) as a PPP on the Design, Build, Finance and Maintain model with a separate Operator contract. As I have said previously, I am not in a position to give any information in relation to the budget for this project, or the nature or duration of the payment options, in advance of the completion of the PPP process. The...

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (25 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: It is intended to procure the DART Underground mainly as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) on the Design, Build, Finance and Maintain model. Issues relating to the planning and design of the DART Underground come under the remit of the CIE Group. Irish Rail will operate the rail services. CIE anticipates that it will lodge an application for a Railway Order for the DART Underground with An...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (25 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: The Irish Airlines (General Employees) Superannuation Scheme is a multi-employer scheme in which the Dublin Airport Authority, Aer Lingus and SR Technics participate. Pension entitlements under this scheme are primarily matters for the Trustees, the members of the scheme and the companies participating in the scheme. The Scheme's actuary carries out an actuarial valuation generally every...

Written Answers — Rail Network: Rail Network (24 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: The re-opening of the railway line to Loughrea is not included in the Government's Transport 21 Capital Investment Programme for Rail up to 2015 and as a result no proposal for this line has been developed or costed.

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (24 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: Construction is currently underway on the Luas extensions to Cherrywood, Docklands and Citywest. The Docklands extension will open for services in 2010, with the extensions to Cherrywood and Citywest opening in 2011. The Oral Hearing before An Bord Pleanála on the railway order application for Metro North commences on 1 April 2009. The Railway Procurement Agency is targeting lodging a...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (24 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme element of Transport 21. The implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Act, 1993 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. The Traffic Management Grants Scheme, administered by the...

Written Answers — Air Services: Air Services (24 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: The issue raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for the Dublin Airport Authority in which I have no function.

Written Answers — Taxi Regulations: Taxi Regulations (24 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 499, 504, 505, 511 and 514 together. The economic review of the small public service vehicle sector published recently by the Commission for Taxi Regulation demonstrates that there has been a 25% increase since 2005, to approximately 100 million trips per year, in the demand for taxi services but also that taxi drivers are operating in a more competitive...

Written Answers — Travel Industry: Travel Industry (24 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 500 and 506 to 508, inclusive, together. Statutory responsibility for regulation of the travel trade rests with the Commission for Aviation Regulation. As the existing legislative framework for the regulation of the travel trade has been in existence since 1982 in May last year I asked the Commission for Aviation Regulation, to undertake a comprehensive...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (24 Mar 2009)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 501 and 502 together. There are no drivers employed directly by me. Under a long-standing arrangement, all Government Ministers and certain other State officials are provided with a State car which is driven by a member of An Garda Síochána from a pool of Gardaí which are allocated on a full-time basis to Ministers. These Gardaí provide personal protection...