Results 7,241-7,260 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — State Airports: State Airports (25 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: As the Deputy will be aware, negotiations are ongoing between the EU and US with a view to reaching an open skies agreement by the end of this year. The next set of EU-US negotiations is scheduled for 14-18 November in Washington, after which it is expected that a draft agreement will be discussed at the meeting of Transport Ministers in Brussels on 5 December. We need certainty for Shannon...

Written Answers — Rail Network: Rail Network (25 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: I understand that the Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, is developing proposals for a number of extensions to the Luas network. Proposals for the development of public transport in the greater Dublin area, including Luas, are being considered by my Department as part of its preparatory work on the ten-year transport investment framework. In this connection, there have been consultations with...

Written Answers — Rail Network: Rail Network (25 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: I understand from Iarnród Éireann that the DART upgrade project is nearing successful completion. The budget for the project is €176 million and the company's forecast outturn is estimated at €165 million. The completion of the project allows Iarnród Éireann to operate eight-car trains on the entire DART network. The next project designed to increase the capacity of the DART, is a...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (25 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: A comprehensive review of the classification of national and regional road system was concluded in 1994 as set out in SI 209 of 1994, Roads Act 1993 (Declaration of National Roads) Order 1994, and SI 400 of 1994, Roads Act 1993 (Declaration of Regional Roads) Order 1994. This classification was carried out based on criteria relating, inter alia, to the type of route, for example, whether it...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (25 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: My Department is meeting all its obligations under the Official Languages Act 2003 and will continue to do so. This Department has spent approximately €36,000 on the implementation of the Official Languages Act 2003.

Written Answers — Rail Services: Rail Services (25 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: It is my view that future investment in rail freight is a matter which should be decided on the basis of sound economic appraisal, taking all factors into account. I am informed by Iarnród Éireann that the company disposes of rolling stock or handling equipment only when it has reached the end of its operating life, is surplus to requirements and uneconomic to repair. The average age of...

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (25 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: I refer the Deputy to my response to Question No. 259 of 19 October in which I provided information on capital projects for which my Department has responsibility. The essence of my Department's activities is the consideration and implementation of policy on the delivery of a safe, efficient and integrated transportation system. Over time, within this overall policy context, virtually every...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (25 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: Provision to support the outsourcing of the collection of fixed-charge payments was included in the Road Traffic Act 2004. The extension of both the fixed-charge system and the penalty points system to additional road traffic offences will be progressively commenced once the appropriate Garda Síochána IT processing system is fully operational and related administrative supports are in...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (25 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: No policy direction under section 41 of the Roads Act 1993 has been given to the National Roads Authority, NRA, regarding this matter. The national spatial strategy, NSS, identifies Athlone, Mullingar and Tullamore as a linked gateway. The NRA has regard to the NSS in the implementation of the national roads programme.

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (25 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: The planning, design and implementation of national road improvement projects, including the upgrade of the M50 and the move to barrier-free tolling at the West Link Bridge, are a matter in the first instance for the National Roads Authority, NRA. The timing and cost of the move to barrier-free tolling, which will not occur before the opening of the Dublin Port tunnel, will depend on the...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (20 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: My Department makes annual funding available to the National Safety Council, NSC. In addition to Exchequer funding, the Irish Insurance Federation, IIF, contributes to the council's budget and funding is also received from sponsorshipsources. The table sets out the funding available to the council for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005. 2003 2004 2005 â'¬ â'¬ â'¬ State Grant...

Written Answers — Traffic Management: Traffic Management (20 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: An outline proposal by Dublin City Council to introduce special parking arrangements that could be applied in the vicinity of Croke Park, or other venues, on specified occasions was received in my Department on 18 October 2005. This proposal will be considered in the context of the parameters established in section 35 of the Road Traffic Act 1994, which provides the legislative basis for the...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (20 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tables.

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (20 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: The provision of public bus services on specific routes in response to demand for public bus services is a commercial and operational matter for bus operators. It is open to all bus operators, including Bus Éireann, to initiate new services subject to compliance with the necessary regulatory requirement of giving advance notice to my Department and to compliance with the provisions of...

Written Answers — Parking Regulations: Parking Regulations (20 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 121 together. Traffic and parking regulations made in 1997 under section 35 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 provide that the only vehicles that may stop or park in a disabled person's parking bay are those in which a disabled person's parking permit is displayed, provided the vehicle is being used for the convenience of the person to whom the permit was...

Written Answers — Driving Tests: Driving Tests (20 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: The package of measures to reduce the backlog of driving test applications includes a bonus scheme for driver testers, the recruitment of additional testers as well as the temporary outsourcing of a set block of tests. As negotiations are ongoing on the package and the tender price for outsourcing the driving tests is commercially sensitive information, I am not in a position at this point to...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (19 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 152 together. In January 2005, I made regulations, the Road Traffic (Speed Limit — Traffic Signs) Regulations 2005, S.I. No. 10 of 2005, prescribing the regulatory traffic signs displaying metric units of measurement, km/h, that the road authorities must provide on public roads to indicate the speed limit in force. This range of traffic signs can be...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (19 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 103 together. In March 2002, the Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, was given statutory responsibility for the delivery of a multi-operator system of integrated ticketing. The proposed contactless smart card based integrated ticketing system will enable a customer to use a ticket on one or more scheduled public transport services, by road and by rail,...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (19 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: My Department is currently engaged in a comprehensive review of the rules of the road booklet. It is the intention that a draft of the new booklet will shortly be published on the Department's website and that comments and submissions will be invited from the public and interested parties. The new booklet will be finalised following consideration of any submissions received and it is intended...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (19 Oct 2005)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90, 106, 107, 117, 123, 131, 144, 148 and 163 together. As I have indicated previously, I am committed to reforming the public transport market to provide opportunities for both public and private companies to deliver increased public services and to ensure the taxpayer and the customer get a high quality of service and best value for money. I also intend to...