Results 4,681-4,700 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (10 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: The Road Traffic Acts provides that a member of the Garda Síochána may, where he or she is of the opinion that a person in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place is under the influence of a drug or drugs to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of that vehicle, require that person to go to a Garda station and further require that person submit to a...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (10 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: 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 delivery of the driving test and the issuing of certificates of competency. Your enquiry has been referred to the RSA for direct reply to you.

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: Shortly after 8 a.m. Ryanair advised that it had acquired over 16% of the issued share capital of Aer Lingus and announced its intention to make an all cash offer of €2.80 per share for the issued share capital of Aer Lingus not already in the ownership of Ryanair. This announcement by Ryanair was made without any forewarning. I was made aware of the announcement by the chairman of Aer...

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: In a sense, this is tinged with a certain amount of irony if one looks back at the Government having very much assisted Ryanair in ending a monopoly in the aviation sector. We were very much to the fore in introducing competition, which as the Deputy has said, was without question in the best interests of the economy and the people in terms of business and tourism. In effect, Ryanair is now...

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: I set out clearly for the Deputy in my opening remarks that a substantial range of interrelated regulatory, legislative and legal matters are being considered. I am awaiting advice on exactly how these will unfold.

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: I am sure the Deputy appreciates it would be wrong for me to speculate until I have all the facts in my possession.

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: The first thing I should make clear to the House is that what we are reacting to is a press release, some comments from Ryanair and its activity on the market. No formal offer document has been received and the Ryanair deputy chief executive indicated this would be presented in two weeks. We must wait until we see the formal offer document. Second, the Deputy has speculated, as I am sure...

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: The Deputy should please not throw in remarks that are incorrect.

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: As Deputy Shortall is aware, the memorandum and articles of association state that once the Government has a 25.1% shareholding — we have 28.3% — and if another 5% shareholder acts we cannot change, for example, the arrangements with regard to the Heathrow slots. That cannot be changed as long as the Government has 25.1% of the shareholding. It is important to put that on the record....

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: It is wrong for any Deputy to talk down Aer Lingus in the House. This is not——

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: I am not surprised to get such a typical response from the Labour Party and the Green Party. As I have enunciated in recent months, the growth potential for Aer Lingus is considerable. It is an important company——

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: ——predicated on its base in Ireland, the potential new routes from here into the United States, the Middle East, the Far East and Australia and the substantial potential increase in short-haul routes. We must keep matters in context. The company is in a strong position and managed to turn itself around in a positive way thanks to great work by its workforce and management in recent...

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: This is clearly an attempt by Ryanair to create a monopoly in this country's aviation sector. For Ryanair to create a monopoly would be bad for business, tourism and passengers.

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: The Deputy will not faze me. I am far calmer than she is, bleating at me from over there. This is a serious issue.

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: That will not achieve anything.

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: I am surprised to hear the question about what the rush was because the Government and I were accused constantly of delaying decisions on Aer Lingus. People want it every way. I do not agree with the suppositions of Deputies Eamon Ryan and Crowe. I should have responded earlier. The process involved will be lengthy and the regulatory and legal situation will not unfold during the coming...

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: Obviously, it confirms the Government's view that this is a strong company, which has the right business plan, the right opportunities, considerable potential for growth in the marketplace and is now on the move in terms of its own development. I agree the Government moved over the past number of years to facilitate the break-up of a monopoly in Irish aviation because we did not think it was...

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: I do not accept Deputy Shortall's submission that this was an utterly reckless course to adopt. It would have been utterly reckless to sit back and do nothing on the potential development of Aer Lingus for the future of this country.

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: We are a long way from that happening. Deputy Shortall should calm down and tone down the tenor of her views.

Proposed Aer Lingus Takeover. (5 Oct 2006)

Martin Cullen: Deputy Shortall asked what contacts I had today. She is probably aware that I only arrived back in Dublin, having started the largest single road project ever in this country, a 40 km project costing some €450 million.