Results 3,941-3,960 of 9,442 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I do not have the dates, but it is the period of 2019. I can come back to the committee on that.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: To the airports. The reason for that is to enable the airports to do what they do best. They are commercial entities. Shannon knows exactly the routes, incentives and connectivity it needs, such as the transatlantic routes. We want to enable the airports to do what they were doing pre-Covid, which they did very well, to incentivise, bargain and negotiate with the airlines.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Yes, it is to incentivise connectivity to ensure that-----

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: There are-----

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I do not have the exact months, but it is on a pro ratabasis, based on 2019 passenger levels.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: It will receive the funding before the end of this year. It is funding for 2021.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Yes.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: There is discretion in the context of connectivity, airport charges rebates, aircraft parking and so on. The criteria is the same as the last time.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Yes.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Yes. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and I will meet the IRHA next week.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Late next week.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I am in constant contact with the IRHA and the Freight Transport Association of Ireland, FTAI. As the Chairman said, the spike in fuel prices is a global issue. It is based on a number of factors including exchange rates, contracts that are negotiated-----

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Absolutely, and as the Chairman mentioned, we already have a diesel rebate scheme. Also, businesses can claim back the VAT on fuel and other motoring costs. It is outside the remit of the Department of Transport in terms of what can be done in that area but I do know that the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Transport are engaging on the issue.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I cannot pre-empt anything-----

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I cannot pre-empt anything that might be decided. What I can tell the Chairman is that I will continue to engage with the IRHA and FTAI on this issue but there are other levers across Government in respect of finance that will need to be-----

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: -----considered as part of this. It is not just a Department of Transport issue. Obviously, the Department of Finance will be involved.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: There is engagement right across the Government. The Minister for Finance and the Minister for Transport will be engaging on this, as will the entire Government. This is part of a broader issue regarding increases in the cost of living. There are certain things we can control but there other things that we cannot control because they are global issues. What we want to do is ensure that...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Very briefly, some of the other things we are doing in this area include the alternative fuel vehicle grant scheme and the reduction in tolls. A number of things are being done but none is a silver bullet on its own. There is a range of grants and schemes that we are looking at but some of them involve Department of Finance decisions.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I agree.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary)
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I do not have those figures to hand. The extra €30 million is to be spent by the end of this year on protection and renewal across the country. We were looking at whether there are any areas where there was an underspend where we could spend money while also ensuring that we are not allocating money where the resources are not there. I would hope that the €30 million will be...