Results 10,701-10,720 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: It is first the duty of the company to see if the routes make sense for it. The company and the NTA can then discuss the issue. My understanding of what the NTA has said is there will be no break in connectivity at all. That will be the arrangement. We will not have a case where one lot will pull out and go in later. That will not happen.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I cannot say everything will remain the same forever, as that would be absurd.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: As the Deputy knows, we have already increased what we have taken in this year by 11%. I hope that in future we will be able to increase it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: The NTA administers and decides the PSO routes from its own budget.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: There is no more money available as we speak. If the Deputy thinks I am coming to the committee today to say there is more money available, I will not say it. There is more money available this year than last year anyway, as the Deputy knows. If the Deputy thinks I am negotiating with her about more money for this issue, the answer is "no". It just does not exist. We have negotiated more...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I wish to answer this as helpfully as possible, although it is not a matter of ministerial responsibility.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: It is not something I can respond to immediately. I can find out for the Deputy. Is that fair enough?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I am probably giving a hostage to fortune in saying this, although it would not be the first time, but it seems that it would be unfair if these processes were administered in a different way.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: First, the Deputy knows no Fine Gael Minister would take aim at me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: It is a very unlikely scenario. If they did it, it would be more subtle than that. I have not had any discussions with the Minister today. I will discuss that matter with him in order to achieve a position that would be more beneficial than it is currently for Bus Éireann.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I have had no discussion or approaches about this. There has been no indication and I have taken no initiative about it. I would not envisage a case where there would be any changes in the benefit that people get from the free travel pass.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: To what statement is the Deputy referring?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I thank Deputy O'Keeffe for the compliment but he is not the first person to tell me I am a poacher turned gamekeeper. I do not feel in any way disturbed by having said it. The NTA has a record of stepping in to keep communities connected. That is the NTA's mandate, and it issued a press statement two weeks ago specifically saying it would step in to such situations. I am not getting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I sympathise with what the Deputy says about seeing these kinds of anomalies. As a human being and as an objective observer, I understand what he is saying. There seem to be difficulties sometimes. The Deputy should not tell me stop hiding behind EU regulation. It is the law. We must, sometimes unfortunately, abide by the law when it seems extremely inconvenient. I see the problem with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: It is one of the reasons the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Varadkar, and I will be talking. This is behind the motivation for doing so. What the Deputy mentioned is not uncommon. I will not talk about his specific route. Routes are for the operators to discuss with the NTA. On the broader issue, the Deputy is right and I will discuss it with the Minister, Deputy Varadkar....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: There is a bit of a misunderstanding here. The NTA has already done a review of bus licensing. It is obliged to carry out such a review every five years. I do not think it is necessary to do it. Given that the review is under consideration in my Department, it would be absurd to do it again.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: I will share it, subject to there being nothing commercially sensitive involved. Given that Deputy Troy is the Opposition spokesperson on transport, I would be very keen to share it with him. That would only be fair. I have to examine the implications involved. I am not trying to be evasive, rather I am seeking to be helpful. I am not sure it should be made public if it reveals to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Current Financial Situation at Bus Éireann, the Expressway Service and the Rural Transport Programme (Resumed) (1 Feb 2017)

Shane Ross: Deputy Barry is as well, of course. Yes, I do.