Results 5,381-5,400 of 9,443 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputy. He raised several really good programmes. I am delighted he did because it is important that I get a chance to discuss them. A lot of the funding is for rural areas. Just yesterday, the €72 million active travel budget for rural towns and villages was announced. When people hear of walking and cycling strategies and active travel, they immediately think of...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Briefly, to respond to the Chairman's question relating to the 2019-2024 national cybersecurity strategy, it has outputs and timelines and they are included in the actions for 2020 onwards. That is set out in the strategy.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I will.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (25 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), low-cost loans, the deferral and warehousing of tax liabilities and the waiver of commercial rates. While travels agents and tour operators have benefitted from many of these central...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Airport Facilities (25 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 36 to 38, inclusive, together. Shannon Group plc. has confirmed to my Department that the aircraft detailed in the Deputy's Question did not operate into Shannon Airport on 15 January 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Airport Facilities (25 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: No exemption, pursuant to Article 5 of the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Orders, 1973 and 1989, was granted for the flight in question.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ports Development (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputy. We have to identify funding streams, which is what the Department is actively doing. We are engaging with the European Commission to seek changes to the CEF criteria to allow EU funding of port infrastructure for offshore renewable energy in the next 2021-23 funding stream. We are also seeking to influence the next TEN-T regulations so that green infrastructure projects...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: My understanding is that testing capacity is at the maximum allowed under public health advice. There is a limit to the number of tests that can be physically carried out each day due to the level 5 restrictions. Even with the hire of extra driver testers, that in itself will not help the current backlog due to the time involved and the limitations on the throughput in the centres. I...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Deputy O'Rourke can be assured that whatever resources are needed in order to alleviate this backlog will be provided. I have sanctioned 40 extra testers and they should be in place by the end of June. Given the public health restrictions under level 5, there is a physical limit to the number of tests that can be undertaken. I assure the Deputy that if more testers are required then more...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ports Development (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: The primary function of State ports is to facilitate maritime transport, which is the most important means of connecting Ireland to international markets, accounting for more than 90% of Ireland's international trade, in volume terms. At the same time, it is recognised that there is a pressing need for Ireland to have the port capacity in place to exploit the opportunities presented by...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ports Development (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I agree with what Deputy Murphy said about the importance of offshore renewable energy. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is present and I can attest to his passion and commitment to ensuring this is rolled out. Any funding provided to ports can only be a contribution towards the costs and would have to be in compliance with state aid rules. It is envisaged that this would...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aviation Industry (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: As I said earlier, the aviation industry is absolutely critical for Ireland and its foreign direct investment, tourism, economy and for the functioning of an island nation. This Government acted quickly when the pandemic broke last year and offered a large range of supports. The airlines and aviation sector have benefited from more than €200 million of that suite of supports. ...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aviation Industry (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I must remind the Deputy of the uncertainty we are facing. We were all hopeful this time last year that we would be out of this pandemic within a number of months but that has not been the case. As I said, the Government acted fast by putting in supports and those measures are still there, including PUP, EWSS, and the Covid restrictions support scheme, CRSS. All of those are also available...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aviation Industry (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I am equally concerned about protecting people's jobs. That is why I am engaging with the aviation sector, those who are at the coalface within the industry, around what that reopening will look like when the public heath advice is there. Now is the time to be working on that and to protect as many jobs as possible. That is the work I am doing with my officials within the national civil...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: The current public health emergency has had a profoundly disruptive effect on the learning and testing system in this country. I can assure the Deputy that the Department is very aware of the challenges facing the Road Safety Authority, RSA, as it works hard to manage the backlog in the driver testing and theory testing service. The driving test service is not currently operating as normal...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aviation Industry (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: Legislation to provide for the introduction of the mandatory quarantine system recently entered into force. Contractual arrangements have now been finalised and it is the intention of the Government to commence the operation of mandatory quarantine this week. The Department of Health is leading this process, supported by officials from several Departments, including the Departments of...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aviation Industry (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: As I outlined, more than €200 million of supports has been granted to the aviation sector. The airports and airlines have had access to that funding, which includes the temporary wage subsidy schemes and other supports. As a result of the very difficult circumstances the aviation industry is experiencing, the Government agreed a revised funding package of €80 million...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aviation Industry (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: I assure the Deputy that this issue is being taken extremely seriously at Government level. All Members understand the importance of aviation for Ireland as an island nation, including for foreign direct investment, tourism and connectivity as an island. I chaired a special meeting of the steering committee of the NCADF. My departmental officials maintain regular contact with the sector....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: The current public health emergency has had a profoundly disruptive effect on the learning and testing system in this country. I can assure the Deputy that the Department is very aware of the challenges facing the RSA as they work hard to further manage the backlog in the Driver Theory Testing Service. The Driver Theory Test has not been deemed to be an essential service under Level...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Hildegarde Naughton: The current public health emergency has had a profoundly disruptive effect on the driver learning and testing system in this country. I can assure the Deputy that my officials and I are very aware of the challenges facing the RSA as they work hard to further manage the backlog in the Driver Testing Service and we continue to monitor the situation and work with the Authority. RSA driver...