Results 3,821-3,840 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Transport Services: Transport Services (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123, 140, 147, 150 and 155 together. There are currently in place two regimes governing the approval of bus services — one for private operators and one for Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann and I am currently considering their replacement with one regime, in the context of replacing of the Road Transport Act 1932. As I indicated in my statement of 28 September...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 125 and 148 together. The Government has not failed to honour its commitment in relation to the provision of additional buses in the Dublin area over the period of the last NDP. Over that period, Dublin Bus purchased a total of 730 new buses, 517 replacement and 213 additional. This compares to an NDP forecast of 500 replacement and 275 additional. The...

Written Answers — Driver Licensing System: Driver Licensing System (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126 and 251 together. 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 oversight of the operation of the driver licensing system including the preparation of proposals for draft regulatory provisions relating to driver licensing and testing. At my request...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: The prosecution of road traffic offences is a matter for the Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Written Answers — Vehicle Height Limits: Vehicle Height Limits (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: I announced on 25 January 2007 that I propose to make a regulation to provide for a national maximum vehicle height limit of 4.65 metres. I have asked the Road Safety Authority to prepare a draft regulation providing for this maximum vehicle height limit and to undertake the necessary consultation with the European Commission regarding its introduction. Subject to the outcome of the EU...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: As Minister for Transport I am responsible for overall policy and funding in relation to the National Roads Programme element of Transport 21. The National Roads Authority (NRA), under the Roads Act, 1993, has responsibility for the planning, design and supervision of works for the construction and maintenance of national roads and for the allocation of the funds, which the Authority receives...

Written Answers — Transport Infrastructure: Transport Infrastructure (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: A major aim of the new National Development Plan (NDP) is to promote the development of all the regions within a co-ordinated, coherent and mutually beneficial framework. It proposes to do this through a range of measures including a major infrastructure investment programme. Chapter 3 of the Plan outlines the overall strategy for regional development. The Economic Infrastructure Priority of...

Written Answers — Rail Services: Rail Services (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: Commuter and suburban rail services in the Dublin area and adjoining counties have been improved substantially in recent years. Major upgrade projects such as the DART Upgrade project, the redevelopment of Heuston Station, the introduction of new rolling stock, the upgrade of the Kildare line through the provision of turnback facilities at Newbridge and the extension of platforms and the...

Written Answers — Rail Services: Rail Services (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: I propose to answer Question Nos. 135 and 172 together. I refer the Deputy to my reply to Priority Question No. 76 of today.

Written Answers — Renewable Energy: Renewable Energy (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: As part of my overall objective of developing transportation in a sustainable manner I have requested CIE to move all existing fleet to 5% bio-diesel blend as quickly as possible and to plan to achieve a 30% bio-diesel blend in all new buses. My Department is working with CIE to establish how these targets can be achieved in the shortest time frame possible. In addition Dublin Bus are...

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: The Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) began a public consultation on five potential routes for connecting the two existing Luas lines in November 2005 with five possible route options, A to E. During public consultation a new option, F, was identified. Options A and F have emerged as the better options and RPA launched a second phase of public consultation in January 2007 involving an...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: This proposal is primarily a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Courts Service. My officials will liaise with their counterparts in the Department of Justice in relation to the assessment of this proposal.

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 139, 152, 153 and 270 together. As Deputies are aware, issues relating to tolls on national roads are in the first instance a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) in accordance with Part V of the Roads Act 1993 (as amended by the Planning and Development Act 2000). As Deputies will be aware, in January of last year, the NRA decided to replace the...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Act: Road Traffic Act (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: The Road Traffic Act 2006 was passed by the Oireachtas on 6th July 2006 and was signed by the President on 16th July 2006. I signed a Commencement Order in July which brought a number of the provisions in the Act into effect from Friday 21st July 2006. The key policy initiatives set out in the Act were commenced without delay including Mandatory Alcohol Testing (MAT) checkpoints, a ban on...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: This is an operational matter for the bus companies concerned. Significant progress has been made in recent years in the introduction of wheelchair accessible buses by both Bus Átha Cliath and Bus Éireann. Since 2000 all buses purchased for urban services are low floor, wheelchair accessible. I understand from Bus Átha Cliath that currently 58% of the fleet is accessible and that the...

Written Answers — Rail Services: Rail Services (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: While journey times are important, the key issues in relation to railway services from a user's point of view are frequency, reliability and punctuality. I understand from Iarnród Éireann that railway services have improved significantly under all of these headings in recent years. The growth in the number of passengers using the railway service from 29.41 million in 1997 to 43.15 million...

Written Answers — Transport 21: Transport 21 (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: All proposed public sector capital expenditure projects are evaluated in accordance with the requirements of the Guidelines for the Appraisal and Management of Capital Expenditure Proposals published by the Department of Finance in February 2005 and available on its website. These comprehensive guidelines require the appraisal of the project at various stages from approval in principle to...

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: The issue raised by the Deputy is a day-to-day operational matter for the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), in which I have no statutory function. However, I understand from the DAA that the company will use slot coordination and operational planning to reduce congestion at Dublin Airport during the 2007 high season. The Commission for Aviation Regulation announced its decision on 12 February...

Written Answers — Rail Services: Rail Services (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: The planning and design of the Navan Rail Link is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance. I understand that the old Navan rail line will be re-opened in two phases with the first phase running off the Maynooth line, at Clonsilla, to the M3 interchange at Pace, near Dunboyne. I am informed by Iarnród Éireann that design work is underway on this phase. Iarnród Éireann plans...

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: Regulation (EC) No. 2320/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing common rules in the field of civil aviation security has been in force since January 2003. This Regulation and a number of implementing regulations adopted subsequently have been adopted into our National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP). A common position of the Transport Council on a...