Results 7,921-7,940 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Infrastructure Ireland Funding (12 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: As Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme.  The planning, design and operation of individual roads is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Within its capital budget, the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Improvement Schemes (12 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of the local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the local authority's own resources supplemented by State road grants.  The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the...

Other Questions: Rail Services Staff (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 22 and 56 together. I refer the Deputies to my reply to Priority Question No. 5 which I answered earlier. As I already mentioned, I kept my commitment to meet with trade unions in the transport sector and we had a very useful exchange on 10 July. I recognise that trade unions have concerns about issues of policy and that those concerns deserve to be...

Leaders' Questions (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: It will not be long.

Other Questions: Irish Aviation Authority (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I will just finish-----

Other Questions: Irish Aviation Authority (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I now intend to implement the legislative changes-----

Other Questions: Irish Aviation Authority (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: -----mainly and probably wholly, through primary legislation.

Other Questions: Irish Aviation Authority (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I will use it in the second part because it is a very important-----

Other Questions: Irish Aviation Authority (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: The Deputy should not feel sorry for me. I am frustrated and extremely disturbed by the fact that this is taking so long and I apologise for that. However, I cannot do anything other than follow the legal advice I am being given. That it is taking a long time is something I would not like to see repeated in relation to other issues. The Attorney General had previously advised that the...

Other Questions: Irish Aviation Authority (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I will meet them, certainly. If they have a cause with which I can assist them in any way, I am happy to meet them. In terms of who will be the next competent authority, I do not have the answer to that at the moment but I know we are moving with a great deal of speed and urgency to look at the various alternatives which were also looked at previously. These would include An Bord...

Other Questions: Irish Aviation Authority (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I have. In fairness to Deputy Troy, a lot of what he has said is fair comment. However, this is certainly not something for which I am going to take responsibility. What I take responsibility for is-----

Other Questions: Irish Aviation Authority (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: -----accepting the legal advice. I accepted it last year in good faith but it has now changed as a result of certain happenings in the European Court. That is something which I also have to accept. I do not like it and no more than Deputy Troy, I do not like the delay. I do not like the delays in the Attorney General's office or the changes of mind in that office but I have to accept...

Other Questions: Bus Services (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: Could I correct the Deputy? The views that are scripted are not pre-written by officials. They are written after consultation between me and officials. They are written and re-written, particularly with the Deputy in mind, and it is the same in this case.

Other Questions: Bus Services (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I ask the Deputy to take that in the spirit in which it is meant. The first reply is pre-written. The subsequent ones will not be, but they are written as a result of a discussion between me and the officials.

Other Questions: Bus Services (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 it is a statutory function of the National Transport Authority, NTA, to determine the appropriate mix of directly awarded and competitively tendered bus services.  Arising from this, it is the NTA's role to conduct the public procurement process relating to its decision to tender out of 10% of the PSO bus network.  In this...

Other Questions: Bus Services (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I believe I am right in saying that the international experience indicates that introducing competitive tension into our public service obligation, PSO, bus market, that is a mixture of direct award and competitively tendered contracts, should allow us to capture potential benefits as regards value for money and in terms of the use of taxpayers' money in securing the provision of PSO...

Other Questions: Bus Services (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: What is happening is an attempt to improve efficiencies, improve frequencies on the routes compared to what is happening now, and the introduction of one new additional route, Citywest to UCD, in addition to the ones already listed. It must be to the advantage to the passenger public if we respond to the demand by increasing the numbers of operators of bus services.

Other Questions: Bus Services (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I can assure the Deputy that there are no plans whatsoever to tender for more than 10% of the services in the future. The current plans are to do this, and God knows this has taken an extremely long time already. We are only talking about a few routes when we are doing this, and we will review it to see how it works. If it does not work, I am happy to come back to this House when it is...

Other Questions: Bus Services (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: However, they are not obliged to transfer and can remain with their current employer. They have that option.

Other Questions: Irish Aviation Authority (11 Oct 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank Deputy Daly for the chance to answer this question and update to the House on this very important issue. As Deputy Daly will be aware, there is a certain repetition in terms of what is happening here today. In September 2016, I announced my intention to designate the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, as the competent authority under EU Regulation 598/2014, and so charge it with...