Results 4,841-4,860 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (17 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: As I indicated in reply to Questions Nos. 184 to 186 inclusive on 3 December 2003 and Questions Nos. 340 to 345 inclusive on 18 November 2003, these are detailed technical questions which are the responsibility of the Irish Aviation Authority.

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (17 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The submission of safeguarding maps is a matter for Aer Rianta.

Written Answers — Rural Transport Integration: Rural Transport Integration (17 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: For some years now my Department has been funding the pilot rural transport initiative. The RTI is a scheme whereby 34 rural community groups are being financed to operate pilot rural transport services in their areas. Area Development Management Limited administers the initiative on behalf of my Department and the specific allocations for individual RTI projects are made by ADM from funding...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (17 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I refer the Deputy to my previous answer to Question No. 264 on Wednesday, 11 February 2004. While the Department has no immediate plans to initiate a competition for driver testers, the position is reviewed regularly having regard to current and future requirements of the driver testing service. Recruitment to the Civil Service is carried out centrally by the Office of the Civil Service and...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The management of the construction of the south-eastern motorway, including issues related to additional costs attributable to delays, is a matter for the National Roads Authority or NRA and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. I am informed by the NRA that, as a target lump sum price was agreed in May 2003 with the contractor for the completion in full of the south-eastern motorway by...

Written Answers — Rural Transport Initiative: Rural Transport Initiative (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: Area Development Management Limited, or ADM, administers the rural transport initiative, or RTI, on behalf of my Department. Specific allocations for individual RTI projects are made by ADM from funds provided for this purpose by my Department. A total of €6 million has already been provided for the RTI in the two-year period ending December 2003 and further funding of €3 million is being...

Written Answers — Rail Network: Rail Network (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I am informed by Iarnród Éireann that all trains purchased since the mid-1990s are fitted with a closed toilet system and these do not present a problem. With regard to other trains which are quite old, particularly the mark II and craven carriages, Iarnród Éireann has informed me of its plans to withdraw these from service on a phased basis over the next two to three years as additional...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I have established a decentralisation implementation group in my Department to manage the decentralisation process. It is chaired by an assistant secretary and includes representatives from the areas or agencies scheduled for decentralisation. The chief executive officer of the National Roads Authority is a member of this group. A staff survey has not been completed but the question of...

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The Railway Procurement Agency has statutory responsibility for the implementation and delivery of an integrated ticketing system which will enable a passenger to use a single ticket on one or more public transport services by road or rail, irrespective of the operators involved. This includes Luas. The system which the RPA is developing will use smart card technologies and the target date...

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The programme for Government contains a commitment to develop a metro with a link to Dublin Airport. The proposed metro overtook earlier proposals for a Luas line to Dublin Airport. The original outline business case for phase one of the metro from the Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, involved a line from the airport to the city centre. This was subsequently revised to take account of the...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I assume the Deputy is referring to the requirement that applicants for first provisional licences must undergo and pass the driver theory test before being granted a licence. The specification which the contractor operating the driver theory test is obliged to meet provides for the delivery of a user-friendly computerised theory testing system and requires that candidates with special needs...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: As in other EU countries, there are variations in the pass rate among driving test centres. The pass rate may be influenced by a number of factors, including the number of lessons taken by the candidate, the standard of instruction available and demographic factors. Pass rates in the Finglas test centre are broadly in line with pass rates in the other Dublin test centres. The failure rate in...

Written Answers — Taxi Hardship Panel: Taxi Hardship Panel (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The taxi hardship panel was an independent three person panel established to report in general terms on the nature and extent of extreme personal financial hardship that may have been experienced by individual taxi licence holders arising from loss of income as a direct result of the liberalisation of the taxi licensing regime. The panel's report recommended the establishment of a scheme to...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: A copy of a draft interim report prepared for Dublin City Council on the development of a HGV management strategy for Dublin city to coincide with the opening of the Dublin Port tunnel to form the basis of a public consultation exercise on this issue was sent by Dublin City Council to my Department. I understand from Dublin City Council that this plan has three objectives: to ensure the...

Written Answers — Air Services: Air Services (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 162 of 28 January 2004. Negotiations have begun between the European Commission and the US authorities to establish an EU-US open aviation area agreement. The third round of those negotiations will take place in Washington next month. Officials of my Department met with the Aer Rianta unions on a number of occasions late last year to hear their...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The driver theory testing service has procedures in place for dealing with complaints, including any about the refund of fees, which may be addressed to the customer service manager at PO Box 144, Drogheda, County Louth. The granting of further tests without payment of fees would be a matter for determination by the driver theory testing service as part of the complaint consideration process.

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The National Safety Council has been mandated with responsibility for promotional and educational initiatives relating to road safety and has been allocated €2.886 million by my Department for 2004 for this purpose. In addition to Exchequer funding, the Irish Insurance Federation contributes to the National Safety Council's budget and funding is also received by the council from other...

Written Answers — Air Services: Air Services (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: The incentive schemes for the development of new routes at the three State airports, including Dublin and Shannon, are a day to day matter for Aer Rianta. Details of the new route support schemes for 2004 in Dublin and Shannon airports are available on the Aer Rianta website at www.aer-rianta.ie. Operators on any new routes which commence operations during the period 1 January 2004 to 31...

Written Answers — Air Services: Air Services (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 162 of 28 January 2004.

Written Answers — Light Rail Project: Light Rail Project (10 Feb 2004)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 394 and 396 together. The Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, is responsible for the management of the Luas project. I have contacted the agency about the Luas works on Davitt Road and it has informed me that the two way traffic system will not be restored until all the works are completed. The decision was taken in consultation with all interested parties. The...