Results 9,041-9,060 of 15,830 for speaker:Robert Troy

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: I have two final questions, the first of which is on the length of time it takes to access and modify a route. As Ms Graham is aware as I brought it to her attention previously, it took the NTA 12 months to modify a timetable for a commuter route between Mullingar and Dublin, which would not give me hope that it is responding to market demand. Has the NTA set down a timeframe for the length...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: My next questions are for Mr. Duggan from the Department of Social Protection. With regard to the Department of Social Protection, I remind my colleague here on the committee that it was his party colleague, Deputy Daly, who first mooted the introduction of a €50 charge for the free travel scheme. If he wants to tackle anybody about scaremongering, therefore, he might bring it up...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: On the free travel scheme, Mr. Duggan spoke about the way the funding is paid to the CIE group and that it has not been reviewed since 1973. I may have picked that up in the wrong way-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: It is now based on the number of people accessing the scheme, is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: What mechanisms does the Department have in place? Mr. Duggan said that 80 private operators are availing of the free travel scheme. Three companies sought a review in 2014.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: That is the question I was going to ask, namely, how often do surveys take place? I attended a party meeting last night at which this came up. There are private operators who took up the free travel scheme in the past but when people present their free travel scheme card now, they are told the operators are no longer taking it. What mechanisms are in place to ensure that private operators...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: There is no corresponding increase for the providers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: I refer to the additional passengers who are availing of this scheme in the period 2010 to 2017. In the context of what is going on in Bus Éireann at the moment and how it is haemorrhaging money, there is a need to identify why the increase in passengers is not being matched by an increase in funding to carry them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: He was leaving that to the Deputy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: I thank the Chairman. A review of licensing was completed by the NTA and given to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport before December. Ms Graham stated that the NTA did not have access to commercially sensitive information on the viability and profitability of the private operators of Expressway route services.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: That seems at variance with what the Minister stated. When we asked him to make available that report, he said he could not because of the amount of commercially sensitive information contained therein. My question follows on from the comments of my colleague, Deputy Ó Cuív. If someone seeks an amendment to his or her licence on the basis that continuing the route for which he...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: I am not referring to withdrawing the licence in full, but to withdrawing a licence from servicing a number of towns along a particular route. Some operators won licences based on servicing towns along a route but because they claimed that servicing those towns was no longer commercially viable, they moved to providing point-to-point services.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: I accept that the NTA cannot force someone to carry out something that is not commercially viable but what proof has it of that if it does not have access to commercially sensitive information? How does the NTA know that the private operator is telling the truth? The operator can pull out more easily than Bus Éireann. Regardless of whether we like it or whether it is mandated, Bus...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: The NTA takes the operators at their word.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: Surely it is the NTA’s concern. As Ms Graham has stated frequently, if those towns become non-serviced, the NTA is left to respond to gaps. It issues a licence in the first instance but if an operator sees that even though it is not losing money, it could make a higher percentage by cutting out certain towns, we will be left to respond. That is not right. This situation is not the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: On what are the service charges based?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: It is complex.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Situation in Bus Éireann: Discussion (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: If there were adequate data one could pay a set figure for a set journey.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: 56. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the action the Government is taking at European level to assist with bringing about a resolution regarding the Israeli and Palestine conflict, in view of recent comments by the US President, Mr. Trump. [8708/17]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (22 Feb 2017)

Robert Troy: 127. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a person who is currently working in a low-waged job can qualify for a back-to-education allowance or any other type of monetary assistance to study nursing in college. [8906/17]