Results 5,901-5,920 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Road Safety. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: No, I am not. We are not here to be argumentative on the issue. I am saying what the law is. There is EU law governing this and I am subject to it just as the Deputy is. I am giving her the sequence. As it stands, the school bus system is operated and contracted through the Department of Education and Science, and Bus Éireann and the subcontracted private bus operators are being obliged by...

Road Safety. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: I was doing my best to explain the reasons to the Deputy.

Road Safety. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: I am not patronising the Deputy. Why would the Deputy start a row with me on a very important issue? The Deputy asked me a question. Can I, here in the House, or tomorrow morning if I feel like it, say that every bus must have safety belts? The answer is "No".

Road Safety. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: Buses are licensed to carry a certain number of people. If possible, I would like to get to the point where all buses have safety belts when carrying schoolchildren or any children anywhere. That is what I am dealing with.

Road Safety. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: Obviously the Garda is responsible for the enforcement of all traffic law and that includes every vehicles on our roads. There is a test on the structure, rust, chassis, brakes, suspension, glazing and so on. Everything comes into the test and the standard of testing is quite rigorous. All I was trying to explain to the House was the legal procedure I have to go through if we want to proceed...

Road Safety. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: The Deputy makes the point for me. I am simply saying my preference is that any bus used to carry children for whatever reason should have safety belts on it. We are all agreed on that. I laid out for the House what procedures I have to go through under EU law to get to that point. I point out that there are huge operational implications for the industry if we do this. I am minded to do it...

Road Safety. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: Of course.

Road Safety. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: The operator's licence stems from the Roads Act 1999.

Road Safety. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: We should be careful in what we say because the implication of some comments is that buses of a certain age are unsafe. That is untrue here and throughout the world. All buses, old and new, must meet the same rigorous standards to get a roadworthiness certificate.

Road Safety. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: One cannot assume that because a bus is old, ergo it is unsafe. We all want a younger fleet of public buses and Bus Éireann and the Department are achieving this by acquiring new buses and relatively new second-hand buses of no more than three or four years of age. The key question is whether we have good and rigorous safety and testing standards which deliver. The evidence to date is that...

Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: We already discussed this issue on which I do not disagree with the Deputy. As I explained, however, there are a range of reasons for the manner in which the vehicle file is used and the complexities involved. If we move to a new licensing regime, including the introduction of a smart card type licence, central distribution will be necessary. Should such circumstances arise, they may provide...

Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: I move amendment No. 22: In page 9, line 27, to delete "in" and substitute "in the". The purpose of the amendment is to correct a grammatical error.

Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: I move amendment No. 23: In page 9, to delete lines 49 and 50.

Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: With regard to amendment No. 25, under section 5.3 of Sustaining Progress, the Government has outlined its commitment to greater female representation on State boards. Gender balance on State boards will be reviewed with a view to establishing how best to secure a minimum of 40% representation on such boards. I support the Government's commitment to securing greater female representation on...

Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: I am surprised at the Deputy. She wants to limit what the authority can do while I want to expand what it can do. I will not limit its functions. I have given it the widest possible responsibilities. We have enunciated them on Committee Stage, in the House and in the public domain. In the way it is written, the Bill allows the authority members to do everything they might want to do. It is...

Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: I do disagree largely with what Deputy Mitchell said about our driving tester system. Sadly, it is clearly not capable of delivering on the demands made on it. As Deputy Mitchell asked, what is this doing in the public sector in the first place? That might have been fine in the past but there are now major issues in terms of managing the situation in the future. I will not begin to discuss...

Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: It is more than diminishing. The Deputy would be shocked at the average number of tests delivered. The system is quite untenable. In all my years in public life I have never seen anything as bad. The more one digs, the more one becomes appalled. Deputy Mitchell is correct in saying this is grossly unfair to the customers out there trying to get a test, and it is also having a major impact on...

Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: Deputy Shortall raised two issues. The immediate challenge of getting rid of the backlog is fundamental to doing anything on all the issues on which we have both enunciated. That issue has to be sorted out immediately. The road safety authority will be given responsibility to devise a new system, taking on board the good reports and recommendations available. If I got all the money in the...

Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: Yes, and also personal commitment. Even within the existing system nobody can justify what is going on. That is a statement of fact. I do not think the Deputy or anybody else is trying to justify it.

Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Apr 2006)

Martin Cullen: I am just setting out the position. The road safety authority will be responsible for devising a solution.