Results 10,201-10,220 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Services (1 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: ​The issue raised is a matter for Iarnród Éireann and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Airport Security (1 Mar 2017)

Shane Ross: ​As indicated in my reply to Question 645 of 14 February 2017, there are no plans to establish a preclearance facility at Cork Airport. There is no business case for such a facility.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Transport Programme (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: ​Following a Government decision in 2012 the National Transport Authority (NTA) was assigned responsibility for the management of the Rural Transport Programme, taking over that responsibility from Pobal. I have therefore referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sports Injuries Guidelines (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I am aware of the recently published research on this matter. All aspects of football coaching are an operational matter for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) as the National Governing Body (NGB) for football. National Governing Bodies, including the FAI, are independent, autonomous bodies. I have no role in, or responsibility for, operational matters of NGBs. While neither I...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Network (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in Kildare is the statutory responsibility of Kildare County Council, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Network (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with local authorities. As regards regional and local roads,...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Ministerial Meetings (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: ​Following the announcement on 14 December, 2016 of the intention to provide increased funding to the Gaelic Players Association over the three years 2017 to 2019, officials of my Department are currently in the process of elaborating the detail of the multi-annual programme in consultation with Sport Ireland. Neither I nor my officials have met the GAA in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Freedom of Information Data (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: In reply to the first part of the Deputy's question, there were no costs incurred for legal fees in respect of FOI matters in the Department.# The reply to the second part is as follows: the estimated total hours spent on processing requests in 2014 was 1,669; in 2015 was 2,273; and in 2016 was 3,181. These total figures are broken down further in the following tables. The first table...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sports Organisations (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: ​The GAA submits an end of year report to Sport Ireland which includes details of grant payments made to individual football and hurling panels playing at inter-county level. This end of year report is not yet available for 2016, as it has not yet been submitted to Sport Ireland by the GAA. Sport Ireland expects to receive it shortly. While I did not have a direct...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: ​There are two forms of legal requirement in order for people to drive a bus and carry passengers for reward. These are the requirement to obtain a driving licence and the requirement to obtain a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). In both cases, the requirements are set at EU rather than national level.  I cannot therefore amend them. However, I should point out...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: ​The objectives of the EU drivers' hours rules are to improve road safety by managing fatigue, to harmonise competition, and to improve working conditions and working practices for drivers in road transport. My officials have consulted with the Road Safety Authority, the agency responsible for the enforcement of drivers' hours rules. The RSA has provided the information below, which I...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sports Organisations (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: Sport Ireland is engaging with mixed martial arts representatives with a view to the establishment of appropriate governance arrangements for mixed martial arts. In this context, the Deputy may wish to note in particular that Sport Ireland is facilitating an engagement between the Irish Martial Arts Commission and the Irish Mixed Martial Arts Association. This engagement is being...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Smarter Transport (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: My Department  has prioritised investments that specifically encourage cycling and walking in accordance with Smarter Travel Policy  with the intention of getting people to change their modes of transport in favour of  sustainable travel. Smarter Travel's overarching goals remain the cornerstone of my Department's transport policy. This...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Garda Operations (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: ​I think that the Deputy may have misunderstood the legislation in this area. The new roadside drug tests are preliminary tests conducted by An Garda Síochána in the same way as the existing roadside preliminary breath tests for alcohol. The preliminary tests involve the use of devices to test oral fluid for the presence of drugs at the roadside....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Policy (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: As part of the Fingal/North Dublin Transport Study which recommended new Metro North as the optimum transport solution on the Swords/Airport/City Centre corridor, the technical and operational feasibility, environmental impact and cost of each short-listed scheme was developed. The preliminary economic analysis in this Study established a comparative benefit to cost ratio of the new...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Haulage Industry (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: ​As you are aware the UK Government published their White Paper earlier this month. The issues raised and their potential implications for Ireland are currently being analysed. Our focus as ever remains the same: to defend and protect Ireland's interests in the upcoming negotiations and to advance our priorities namely, the economy, Northern Ireland, the Common Travel Area and the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Living Wage (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: ​The living wage of €11.50 per hour is not a statutory entitlement and any calculation in relation to it would be purely speculative. Policy making in relation to the determination of salary rates for all public servants, including staff in the State agencies under the aegis of my Department, is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: ​The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). The NTA's Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) 2016 - 2035 includes proposals for two specific BRT schemes, Blanchardstown to UCD and Clongriffin to Tallaght. In addition, the Strategy indicates that the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: ​The National Transport Authority's 'Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016 - 2035', which was approved and published in 2016, proposes implementation of the DART Expansion Programme involving electrification of the Northern line as far as Drogheda, the Kildare Line to Hazelhatch, the Sligo line to Maynooth in the west and to the M3 Parkway and construction of the DART...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Policy (28 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: ​As I have outlined to the House on a number of occasions recently, funding for the Metro North project is provided under the Government's Capital Plan, allowing initially for the planning and design phases of the project, followed by the construction phase which is expected to commence in 2021 with a view to delivering the project by 2026/2027. Funding has been also been provided...