Results 3,521-3,540 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Public Transport. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I am unsure whether the Deputy asked a question, as that sounded more like a statement.

Public Transport. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: No, I do not. The Deputy is aware the Department has introduced the Dublin Transportation Authority Act, which now is in place and will be rolled out. The question of competition in the market is dealt with in that Act and will be dealt with in the next national public transport plan.

Public Transport. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: Undoubtedly, the frequency and more particularly the reliability of a service are extremely important. I refer to frequency in the sense that one can predict when a bus will come. Once this is available to customers, people are encouraged to use the service. For example, on some of the quality bus corridors, QBCs, the service is reliable, there is the same headroom between each bus and so...

Public Transport. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: The question of what to do during off-peak hours certainly is an issue. The Deputy's suggestion certainly could be considered by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann uses quite a number of private subcontractors throughout the company. The off-peak issue also raises the question of work practices in Dublin Bus that must be addressed in respect of how one uses one's resources. As for Deputy Broughan's...

Public Transport. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I can show the Deputy the figures. Bus capacity has increased by 30%.

Public Transport. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: Capacity has increased by 30% while passenger numbers are falling. The simple question that must be asked is whether the buses available are being deployed to the best effect. The answer is "No" and this must be addressed to increase the numbers. Deputy O'Dowd's earlier point on congestion certainly is one of the causes of the problem of the service's unreliability. I refer to the scenario...

Departmental Agencies. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 73 and 117 together. I have nothing to add to my earlier answer.

Departmental Agencies. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: The report stated that the Department of Transport makes every effort to ensure compliance with the code of governance by the agencies. The Department's responsibility is to ensure they comply with those codes. The report suggests the Department must adopt a strategic approach to the governance of the agencies, particularly in the context of the large number and variety of agencies under...

Departmental Agencies. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: That means the Department should monitor the outcomes, not that it should respond to every complaint that is made by the public to the Department——-

Departmental Agencies. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: ——which is what it is doing.

Departmental Agencies. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: I am responsible in this House for policy on the agencies and I am answerable to it. The agencies are responsible and answerable to the House through the committees as well. They are also answerable through the Committee of Public Accounts.

Departmental Agencies. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: The types of questions generally turned down in the Ceann Comhairle's office are ones that ask about specific operational matters for which we are clearly not responsible.

Departmental Agencies. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: Deputy Morgan is welcome to intervene, even if transport is not one of his briefs. If he was here for all of the other Question Times he would be aware that his two colleagues on the other side have always held me to account very ably.

Departmental Agencies. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: There is no division at all. These bodies are accountable to me.

Departmental Agencies. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: They actually are accountable to me. They report to me and we have in place, from the middle of this year, even stronger accountability procedures on reporting to me directly. I have no difficulty with them.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: In theory.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: They have no idea.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: Another leader in the Fine Gael-Labour benches.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: Another Mayo leader.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Noel Dempsey: We heard Deputy Ring was moving to the Labour Party.