Results 7,281-7,300 of 26,021 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is not mutually exclusive in relation to road projects. I do not want to go down that line. I want to deal with the facts. Am I correct in saying for 2022 the ratio between public transport and roads is about 50:50 in the capital budget? Is that reasonable?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Under the programme for Government it is 2:1, but at the moment it is about 50:50.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: In addition, the bulk of the €360 million for active travel is coming out of the capital budget.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: If I include the €360 million as part of public transport, it is still 50%.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Okay. If I strip it out, it is probably about a 60:40 ratio in favour of roads. Is that reasonable?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: What would it be roughly?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I looked through the Estimates and an interesting thing struck me on page 152 about electric vehicles. The number of new grant-aided vehicles purchased will go from 6,000 to 18,000 this year. There were 5,000 or some huge number purchased in January. That would represent a threefold increase. The number of grant-aided electric vehicle charging points has only doubled from 400. Could there...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I have spoken to taxi drivers and other members of the public. I actively go out and ask people. In every estate we go into someone has a car charging. The one issue that is raised is the location of charging points and the speed at which cars can be charged. There is a belief that being on a motorway, for example the motorway from Limerick to Dublin, eats into the battery and uses it a...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Did the Minister say previously there was an issue about their closeness to the grid?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is there anything the Government can do to assist with this?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: What is required so we will see this increase threefold or fourfold per annum? The number of charging points should increase commensurate with the increase in the number of cars. If there are extra charging points at a faster speed we will have even more people looking to purchase electric cars. Some people are reticent. As a non-technical person what are the challenges at present? Why...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: In what sense?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: What would they do with that funding?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Minister is the person in the cockpit. What needs to be done now with the existing or new apparatus to increase the number of charging points?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: When will the Department's new policy be out?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will move on to broadband which is on page 5 of the Estimates. There is a spend of €225,000 this year. National Broadband Ireland came before the committee recently. Is the Minister satisfied with the pace of the roll-out of broadband? Does he believe the taxpayer is getting value for money? What is his overall perspective on where the roll-out of broadband is at present?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: My next question is on aviation. The Minister is probably aware that Shannon Airport has no European hub connectivity. It does have flights to Heathrow. Aer Lingus was supposed to go ahead with a route from Shannon to Paris Charles de Gaulle in March 2020. Covid intervened and we have also had Brexit. Because of Brexit, Shannon Airport is exposed because we do not have direct hub...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am not denying that.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: However, I understand it has been done here. Is it something to which the Minister is open?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank the Minister.