Results 3,941-3,960 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: Iarnród Éireann continues to pursue a policy of growing its rail freight business where opportunities present, such as in bulk and trainload traffic. The company has also sought to return the rail freight business to profitability. To help achieve this turnaround, Iarnród Éireann withdrew from loss-making groupage, palletised and single container rail transport resulting in the deficit...

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: To correct the Deputy, I stated that Iarnród Éireann continues to pursue a policy of growing its rail freight business where opportunities present, such as in bulk and trainload traffic.

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: It is interesting for the Labour Party to adopt a position where it suggests the taxpayer should fund highly profitable commercial sector companies to move their goods and services around the country. This is an extraordinary position. The taxpayer has enough to fund in this country.

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: It is not a cheap point. The Deputy is requesting that the taxpayer fund, through subsidy, highly profitable and commercially successful companies——

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: ——in this country in doing their business. That is not a position to which I subscribe. We all have demands on the Exchequer and we need funding for health, education, the social services and all these areas.

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: When it comes to it, that is further down the line. From 1 January this year, all domestic freight operations in this country have become an open market which has been fully deregulated. To date, no serious representations have been made to my Department to enter into the market. I have requested the private sector, if it so wishes, to come into the market.

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: Some private sector companies have considered the move but the big difficulty in Ireland is that distances are very short and end-to-end points do not have huge business at either end. This is the reality here and in Europe. Freight movements on trains are more successful in Europe where they are over long distances. In fairness to Iarnród Éireann, Norfolkline, a major international...

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: I would like to answer this question.

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: I have a policy that is fundamentally different from that of the Labour Party. In Government, the Fianna Fáil Party will not subsidise highly profitable companies to move their goods and services around the country.

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: That is the enunciated position.

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: If the Deputy is going to enunciate a position, she should at least have the courage to stand over what is being said.

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: Of course I understand the costs involved.

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: The Labour Party seems to be taking a view that it can force commercially successful companies in this country to use rail freight, which is not viable, as opposed to road freight. To get them to do so, they would use taxpayer's money. It would be an appalling waste of money and only the Labour Party could develop such a skewed view on how to use taxpayers' money.

Rail Services. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: I understand, which is the difference between the Deputy and me.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: I am implementing a number of policies and measures that will deliver a sustainable transport system, including the provision of supply-side infrastructure and demand-side management measures to reduce congestion and support a modal shift from private to public transport. This will allow the economy to maintain economic competitiveness by removing infrastructural bottlenecks, while...

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: I would not expect the Deputy to say anything else.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: Of course, we will.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: The Green Party finds it difficult to cope with a thriving economy, full employment and all that has happened in Ireland in recent years.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: According to the Green Party's recent pronouncements, it wants to cancel all road and motorway programmes and does not want the orbital route around Dublin or the eastern bypass.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (21 Feb 2007)

Martin Cullen: The Green Party has consistently opposed the planning of almost every major piece of infrastructure. In the context of the country's development, I do not adhere to the backward-looking position taken by the Green Party. As a former Minister for the Environment and Local Government and as the Minister for Transport, I adhere to a balance between the environment and the economy. I told the...