Results 9,141-9,160 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Other Questions: Noise Pollution (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: The Deputy is correct. As she is aware, the DAA has statutory responsibility to manage, operate and develop Dublin Airport, including the north runway project.   When the Deputy first raised the issue in March, I had, as she referred to, made inquiries of the DAA and was informed at the time that the longitudinal analysis requested at the community liaison group meeting...

Other Questions: Noise Pollution (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: I obviously have some sympathy for the residents in terms of their frustration with the situation in which they find themselves. However, when the law or legal action comes into issues of this sort, it rather takes it out of the hands of politicians and Ministers. We cannot be seen to intervene in the legal process in any way or to do or say anything that would be prejudicial. I am...

Other Questions: Noise Pollution (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank the Deputy for her contribution. If members of the Traveller community are adversely affected by this, I would urge the DAA to meet them to discuss those problems. I would be very happy to meet them myself. I do not think the Deputy would question my bona fides on the interaction between the DAA and the Traveller community or between the DAA and local residents. I have facilitated...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: I understand the importance attached by Deputy Michael Healy-Rae and others to the local improvement scheme. In fact, I think the Deputy is partly responsible for it being in the programme for Government because of his work before he departed from that aspect of the talks. Others were involved as well but I think the Deputy was responsible and he can claim credit for some of that. It is...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: I hear what Deputy Michael Healy-Rae is saying but I am not sure that I can give him the same comfort on hedges or comment with the same conviction that I can give to him on our determination to pursue the restoration of the LIS. This is because of the statutory provisions on landowners and occupiers. Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 provides that landowners and occupiers of land must take...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: I do not believe that is the case because the plan has not been published. I do not know how Deputy Eamon Ryan can say that.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: A draft plan is very different to a final plan.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: Deputy Eamon Ryan will hear about the final plan in the coming weeks. He should not quote something to me that is not true. It has not happened yet. That is the Deputy's anticipation. I hope he will not be disappointed. In order for Ireland to effectively and equitably contribute to the EU emissions reduction commitments in line with the Paris agreement and the Climate Action and Low...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Dublin Airport Authority (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: The residents have been engaging on the noise and planning issues, maybe not as constructively as they wished but certainly very frequently, not only with DAA but also with me. I have met a large number of delegations on the issues to which the Deputy refers and on other issues as well. The issue of primary legislation and statutory instruments is very delicate. It has taken longer than I...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Dublin Airport Authority (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: The Deputy is absolutely right. It has been delayed and that is a great pity. It has been delayed much longer than we expected. However, he is also absolutely wrong. The delay has nothing to do with my Department. Taking this as an opportunity to have a swipe at the Department and everything else it is doing is absurd. The project has been delayed because there are serious legal...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Dublin Airport Authority (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: There would be nothing worse than having flawed secondary legislation come before this House. This matter is complicated and difficult, and progress on it has been delayed. However, the Deputy should not say it has been delayed in my Department. That is factually untrue and the Deputy knows it. It has been delayed because the lawyers are looking at it and it is a difficult problem. ...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Dublin Airport Authority (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: I am not, at the behest of the Deputy or anybody else, going to demand that flawed legislation be put before this House. I would rather that they got a thoroughly robust piece of legislation to bring before the House and that is what will happen.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank the Deputy for his question and for hosting part of my trip around Kerry, when he showed me many of the roads to which his question alludes. As the Deputy is aware, the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads including those in County Kerry is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Transport Policy (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank Deputy Munster. We are being a bit more specific here than was intended in the original question. On the Bus Éireann issue, I repeat that I stand by everything I have said in the past, especially about privatisation. I cannot understand why people ask the same question time after time after time. They are going to get the same answer. The answer is the same as the one I have...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Transport Policy (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: It has been absolutely clear what the situation is. It is up to the NTA what it does as provided for in the Act and within the legal constraints under which the authority operates. I have made it absolutely clear that there will be no move towards privatising routes in the headlong way described by the Deputy. There is no obligation on the NTA or anyone else to privatise all the routes in...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Dublin Airport Authority (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: The Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, holds statutory responsibility for the management, operation and development of Dublin Airport, including the north runway project. Passenger traffic at Dublin Airport in 2016 increased to almost 28 million, making it the second fastest growing airport in the EU in 2016, growing at three times the EU average. The airport is now the fifth most important...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Bus Éireann (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank the Deputy for his question. He is aware that trade union members are currently balloting on a Labour Court recommendation. In accordance with long-standing practice, I do not wish to comment on the details of the recommendation. As the Deputy knows, I have taken a number of important steps during the past few months. I have increased the amount of funding made available by the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Bus Éireann (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: I welcome Deputy Troy's constructive attitude to this issue. His hope and mine is that the dispute will be settled, one way or another, in the interests of all stakeholders and everybody else as soon as possible. I have given this pledge, as the Deputy knows. When the industrial dispute ends and the balloting is over, I intend to consult all parties on the terms of reference. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Bus Éireann (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: I repeat that I am constrained in what I can say about what I intend to do. I am committed to the assurances I gave prior to balloting that this forum will be called at a very early date and will proceed as rapidly as possible. There is no intention to delay or dilute that promise. This could be a very important forum for bringing stakeholders together to discuss the future of Dublin Bus,...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Transport Policy (10 May 2017)

Shane Ross: ​I thank the Deputy for her question. I welcome the opportunity to address a wide subject such as this at this time. I want to see an accessible, integrated, well-funded, high-quality and efficient public transport system. I want to see a public transport system that provides a viable and popular alternative to travel by car. That is an objective upon which nearly...