Results 10,141-10,160 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: I am delighted that Deputy Catherine Murphy has joined the merry band of those who say I have given hostages to fortune in the past. Nobody would understand it better than the Deputy. I do not know how many parties she has been a member of in the past, but they include the Social Democrats, the Workers' Party, Democratic Left-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: It is. There was also the Labour Party-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: -----and the Independents.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: Yes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: No, the Deputy cannot hide from that and I congratulate her on her versatility, as she congratulates me on mine. It is very good that people should change parties every year or couple of years-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: -----or when they feel like it.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: I wish the Social Democrats well and I wish the Deputy well in her new venture. On the matter of whether there are savings, I am optimistic that this can work. I am optimistic that Expressway has a future. That is what we are all aiming for. It will be done by a combination of savings and perhaps increased revenue in various places. Yes, I am confident it can be done. The Deputy asks...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: We have a management in Bus Éireann. What does Deputy Murphy think it is there to do? It is there to manage and identify where commercial decisions should be made. I am not there to identify the detail of the cuts.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: The board and the management have made it quite clear, and I assume the trade unions feel the same, that there is a platform and basis for negotiations which will enable them to come to an agreement, hopefully in the next seven or eight days. That has been made quite clear by both parties and both of them are seeking the same objective. The Deputy is trying to draw me into the same...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: It says it will be insolvent if the situation continues. I am glad Deputy Murphy, like everybody else, realises the gravity of the situation. The company is also saying that, unfortunately, it will be painful. Saving this company will be very difficult. However, it is an absolute imperative that a commercial company behaves commercially. Wherever the savings have to be made will be...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: Yes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: It is not loaded at all. The question has been asked previously. It is fine. I will address the Deputy's questions as well as I can. He is talking about how individual routes like the Cork-Dublin route are operated. The like-for-like comparison of individual routes is a matter for the NTA and not for me. I see the point the Deputy is making. As I have said previously, if there are...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: I can answer the Deputy's question about the Limerick-Dublin route by quoting from the NTA review. It states:Bus Éireann have announced a withdrawal of 24 services per week from a total of 130 on their Limerick to Dublin via Nenagh, Roscrea and Portlaoise service. There are a number of alternative services available such as JJ Kavanagh Route 735 which provides 112 services per week ...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: I know, but it is very important.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: As the review states, "There is a high volume of bus and rail services from Limerick to Dublin, therefore no additional services are proposed by the Authority". The Deputy knows that is the case.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: Fair enough. I will respond to the Deputy's other questions.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: I will speak about the Dublin-Derry route.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: Translink said in a press release yesterday that it intends to continue its service. I would like to respond briefly to some of the Deputy's other points. She said that the buses will be pulled from the road next week. We do not want to see that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: No, I am not going to intervene. None of us wants to see this happen. I accept the bona fides of Deputies Bríd Smith and Mick Barry. They come from a particular background and have a particular point of view.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)
Shane Ross: And others, maybe. I have a different perspective. I am the Minister. I have to take what I believe to be the right view.