Results 8,661-8,680 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Other Questions: Tourism Industry (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I am monitoring daily what is being done to compensate for this decline. That is the issue on which Deputy Munster asked her question. Tourism Ireland has been very active in Britain and on the issue of market diversification. While the figures to which Deputy Troy referred reflect exactly what is happening, they also show that overseas visitors increased by more than 3% in the first five...

Other Questions: Tourism Industry (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: We are looking seriously at other areas, including the lakelands area, with which Deputy Troy will be familiar and on which I will respond in a Topical Issue debate later. People also believe that this area is neglected or not fully covered by Ireland's Ancient East, the Wild Atlantic Way and other big ticket tourism projects. I have had discussions with the tourism agencies about ways of...

Other Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank the former Minister for his question which is on an issue on which I am rapidly being educated as it is raised virtually every day in the House, either as a Topical Issue matter or in another form. It is an important issue and I understand the difficulties in which people find themselves. I will respond to the Deputy's question on discussions in a moment. In the first instance,...

Other Questions: Tourism Industry (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank the Deputy for the questions. It is a question I imagine will return time and again, and rightly so, because of the present situation. Since the UK voted to leave the EU, my Department has been fully engaged in evaluating the ensuing risks for tourism and, together with the tourism agencies, working to address those risks. The Department's analysis of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Greenways Provision (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank the Deputy for his question. It is an important one and I know it is of particular importance to him in the area in which he operates in Dublin. The National Transport Authority, NTA, is responsible for the development of public transport and sustainable transport infrastructure projects in the greater Dublin area, GDA.  The six cycle schemes identified by the Deputy form...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Greenways Provision (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: Let me just say that the Deputy is not the only person in this House who has a passion for greenways.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Greenways Provision (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: This kind of monopoly which he claims on greenways, particularly in the Dublin area, does not exist.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Greenways Provision (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: There are people with real passion for greenways in this House, all of whom have as good a case as the Deputy for their greenways, some of which cannot be done or provided for.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Greenways Provision (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: Let me answer the Deputy's question. I ask him not to interrupt.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Greenways Provision (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I did not interrupt the Deputy and I have no intention of interrupting doing so. I never interrupt regardless of whether he is in full flow or not.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Greenways Provision (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: Let me say this to the Deputy about these greenways. On the Grand Canal cycleway from Blackhorse to Portobello, an allocation of €60,000 has been provided to Dublin City Council this year in order to complete the preliminary design necessary to progress the scheme to Part 8 planning approval. On the Dodder greenway, an allocation of €500,000 has been provided to Dublin City...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Greenways Provision (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I would like to thank the Deputy in advance for his thanks, which obviously will be coming. It will be a new feeling and a great feeling of warmth.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Greenways Provision (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I anticipate it with great glee. However, I cannot promise that any particular greenway will get preference at the expense of others. I sympathise with the Deputy and support what he says. Of course I do, and he knows I do, but he knows full well that there are massive financial constraints as well. There will not be any special pleading for my constituency, which the Deputy mentioned, or...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Olympic Council of Ireland (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: If I were to do something imprudent which affected the administration of justice in any part of the world, not just in Ireland, Deputy Troy would be the first person down my throat saying how foolish a thing it was to do.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Olympic Council of Ireland (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: Deputy Troy has asked the question, if I may reply. We have to make a judgment on this and wait for the advice of the Attorney General. That is something for which I am prepared to wait and it is imminent. I will also answer the Deputy's question on the budget of OCI. This is a matter for Sport Ireland but I will tell the Deputy what I know about it. I think it is in the public arena....

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Marine Casualty Investigation Board (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: The question tabled is somewhat different to the one the Deputy just asked. However, I will answer the first question first and, if it is all right with the Deputy, reply to the second in a supplementary. I will try to fit them both in because I am not avoiding them. It is just that the question the Deputy has asked is somewhat different from the one of which he gave notice, which is fair...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Marine Casualty Investigation Board (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I very much understand the passion with which Deputy Mattie McGrath introduced this matter. He brought the people involved to meet me and my sympathy and that of the House extends to them in this terrible situation. The Deputy would not ask me to comment publicly on the investigation, which I cannot do, particularly as he is pushing to have it reopened. If he is asking me to do that, he...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Marine Casualty Investigation Board (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: On a general level, the Deputy has made a very good point that 138 water tragedies is extraordinary. Perhaps he is right that it does not receive the attention it deserves, including from me. That is very fair because one tragedy is one too many. It is something which is not highlighted, I suppose, because it is so common. I take the Deputy's point about the family needing closure. If...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: I will put my hands up for what happened in the past if the Deputy wants me to. I am quite happy to do so. I am not happy with what has been happening here. It is quite obvious that it is unacceptable. What happened has been remedied in that new chief executives now get a single fixed term of anywhere between five and seven years. We have to rely on the findings of the courts, which we...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (28 Jun 2017)

Shane Ross: The Deputy has made a good case. She is correct to point out what happened retrospectively and it was wrong. If she wants me to take the blame for what happened before my tenure I will take it willingly. I have no problem with that. The Deputy is asking me to change the law now specifically to address this problem. I will not do it now because we have made new rules for between five and...