Results 8,381-8,400 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: In fairness to the Minister, he has agreed to go with some of the people who were witnesses here today, which proves his commitment.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: Has the Minister published a list of where that €28 million is actually going to be spent?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: It would help in the transparency of the debate that the committee would have such a list - if and when it is available - of what is intended to do so we can benchmark it against what needs to be done. I believe that is the key point, and obviously the increase-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: -----whatever it is.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: If it is helpful to the Minister, the committee will produce a report; we can identify what the Department and the Minister is doing with the funds and we can measure what needs to be done. If we know what is being done we know what is not being done and we can see how the issues can be sorted, especially around the bus stops, which is a hugely important matter in rural Ireland. There is...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: That is fair enough. We need to know what is going to be done and what is not. What needs to be done? That is fine and I welcome the trebling of funding. Funding of €28 million sounds fantastic but we do not know what it is going to do or what needs to be done after that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: I do not want all that now. We can come back to that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: Perhaps the Minister will give us whatever he can.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: We will need to know the percentage that remains unfinished.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: It is not about what is being spent, which we welcome, it is about additionally what is needed after that so people can say-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: It is about what is left to do. That is what the committee has to tackle.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: At the end of those public transport journeys, they usually have to get a taxi anyway. They would have additional transport costs anyway by virtue of their disability, notwithstanding their use of public transport.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: The clerk to the committee has reminded me that must vacate the room by 1.15 p.m. so that I would make everybody aware of that fact. There is 20 minutes yet.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: The taxpayer provides the buses for Bus Éireann. Maybe the additional cost of meeting disability needs could be looked at by the Minister. I am not saying that is the way to do it but that might be one way where there is support for a company, as there is support for the State companies. I would not discriminate against any passenger by not having the same support if we can but it is...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: I would like to ask the Minister one question. I appreciate-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: I know. There is just one point I wish to raise. Does the Minister have a disability adviser within the Department? In light of all of the points raised by the members, the Minister and others at this meeting, perhaps providing the Minister with advice in this regard is a function of the Department. Maybe it should be, if there is not already someone who is concentrating on this issue on...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: Does the Department publish the minutes of this committee's meetings on its website?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: I think it should. It is important that people see what progress and changes are happening.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: I am sure everybody would agree. It would show that-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)
Fergus O'Dowd: -----the Department is focusing on the action.