Results 5,601-5,620 of 9,052 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

Confidence in Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Motion (10 Nov 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Tánaiste gave a full and frank account of his actions and motivations last week in this House and took considerable time answering Deputies' questions. Today is two hours of statements and counter statements, a rehash of last week's events when we are in the midst of the most serious health crisis to face our nation and staring down the barrel of a no-deal Brexit. We will spend...

Railway Safety (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents involving Certain Railways) Bill 2020: Second Stage (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank Deputies for their support for the Bill. As stated already, it is an important Bill to ensure that the railway accident investigation unit will continue to have the full range of statutory powers from 31 October. The transposition regulations of 2020 will provide the statutory basis in respect of heavy rail and through the operation of this Bill, the RAIU will be in a position to...

Railway Safety (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents involving Certain Railways) Bill 2020: Order for Second Stage (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: I move: “That Second Stage be taken now.”

Railway Safety (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents involving Certain Railways) Bill 2020: Second Stage (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: I move: “That the Bill be now read a Second Time.” The Bill is to provide a statutory basis for a continuation of the powers of the Railway Accident Investigation Unit, RAIU for the reporting and investigation of serious accidents and incidents involving certain categories of railways that are specified in section 3. The RAIU is the independent statutory body that carries...

Post Office Network: Motion [Private Members] (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: I move amendment No. 2: To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “recognises: — the important role that An Post and post offices have played during the Covid-19 pandemic in its commitment to rural communities and to the elderly and vulnerable in our society, and its provision of a swift and sustained response to the...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the committee for the opportunity to present the 2020 Estimate for the Department of Transport. As stated by the Chairman, the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, will attend the committee at a later date on Programme A of Vote 29 for the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. The Estimate is, in fact, a further Revised Estimate, published in September 2020 to take into...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: The NTA is monitoring the gaps being created in the bus routes. While it was a commercial decision by the company, at the same time the NTA has committed to looking at routes that are critical to ensuring we have connectivity. That work will be ongoing with the NTA. It was disappointing to see that news, but those routes were not commercially viable. The NTA will monitor and work with the...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: As the Deputy knows, a suite of supports was announced at the outset of the pandemic, which I outlined to the committee, so he is very well aware of them - the temporary wage subsidy scheme, the commercial rates waivers, and access to liquidity funding through the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, ISIF. In the 2021 budget we allocated €21.3 million to our regional airports along with...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: As regards the Deputy's latter point, all the road projects mentioned in budget 2021 will be under construction in 2021 and that is why they were named. In general, further phases that are not ready will come on board as the designs and planning are completed. Regarding what was announced in budget 2021, the first phase will be under construction next year. I can come back to the Deputy...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputy. These are very important questions, especially now that we are in level 5. A number of services, including the driving test service, the National Driver Licence Service, NDLS, the driver theory test and the national car test, NCT, are considered essential services. However, there is a backlog and many Deputies have been in contact with the Department about it. Due to...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: During the initial lockdown, all testing stopped and it slowly opened up again over July and August. As I alluded to, the issue related to the health and safety protocols. The RSA is looking at rehiring temporary testers who had been laid off during the initial lockdown and bringing them on board. There is another cohort of temporary driver testers whose contracts will expire this month or...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: It is important to mention our ports too, which will need to have these testing facilities. PCR is recognised by the Department of Health as the standard test. There was an understandable call from the aviation industry that it wants a rapid, efficient, low-cost test that will help passengers, not add to the financial burden of connectivity. To answer the Deputy's questions, there is a...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: I expect the cost will be borne by the passenger. It would have to be. People could be travelling to Ireland from across the world. They would have to ensure that they had their own pre-departure test, validated, recognised and certified within their own country, and there may be a request to have another test here on arrival, depending on the location the passenger has come from, to...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: Brexit is a significant concern within the Department on a number of levels, from public transport to aviation, at the ports, and in the road haulage sector. We have had continued engagement with the haulage sector. It is rightly concerned about the backlog and disruption at the UK land bridge. It is important to say that even if there is a deal about this, there will be disruption at the...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: I met with the travel agents and had much communication with them. I share the concerns of Deputies here. Travel agents put in hard work over the past few months, dealing with difficult situations of people who were losing out on their package holidays. We put €15 million in place in the budget to support travel agencies in the event of them becoming insolvent. There are talks...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: Tenders have been received for the Coonagh-Knockalisheen distributor road and the contract is ready to be awarded. A submission was sent to the Minister on 16 October 2020, recommending that this important regeneration project in Moyross be approved. There is provision in the regional and local road proposed allocations for national development projects in 2021 to accommodate this project....

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: I will come back to the Deputy. Again, that is under the Minister's remit. I will revert back to Deputy Carey in writing on where it is at.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: I can do that. I will get a briefing for the Deputy on that with regard to funding. Perhaps the Deputy might write formally to the Department with that specific request and I will get him an up-to-date briefing on it. That is under the Minister's remit and I do not have the detail of that exact project, so I do not want to say something to the Deputy today that is incorrect.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: It will be up to the Shannon Group to put forward an application to the Department on those capital projects, as will Cork Airport. That would then be assessed by the Department. I am aware of the concerns of Deputy Carey and his colleagues on Shannon Airport, but I can assure him that we acknowledge the importance of connectivity for the mid-west and the need to support the airport, the...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Hildegarde Naughton: We have had ongoing engagement with all our airlines and we have provided a number of supports. They have availed of a number of the supports, including the temporary wage subsidy scheme and commercial rates waivers. We have continued this engagement. It is also important to say that decisions made by Ryanair or Aer Lingus are commercial decisions and we understand there is a global crisis...