Results 11,081-11,100 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I agree. In any budget discussions, ultimately the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is going to have to help cover the costs here. As I said, in any Government at any period in time there are myriad desires, to pay for childcare, to improve our education and health systems and so on, and also to improve and increase the provisions for public transport, particularly those who are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Costs (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: From 9 May, these 19-to-23-year-olds, those who are 24 and under, will also be able to avail of 50% discount fares across all services, including city, intercity and rural services. The NTA is working to assess deployment options in this regard. A working group is working with the commercial bus operators to see how this could also be rolled out into the commercial sector. Therefore, a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Costs (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I am glad the NTA saw the sense of what Deputy Matthews was saying about that trip. I happened to use the DART to Greystones a good few times recently for various reasons. Not only is it good value in that regard, but it is also probably one of the most spectacular train journeys in the world as one comes out of the tunnels through Bray and Killiney heads. This is not the only location...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The free travel scheme is a non-statutory scheme administered by the Department of Social Protection. It is available to people aged 66 years or over permanently resident in the State, and to all carers in receipt of carer's allowance. The scheme is also available to certain people with disabilities and people receiving certain welfare-type payments. The fundamental principle of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I will, but as part of an integrated assessment and modernisation update review, including how we are providing school public transport. That aspect must also be reviewed and improved. I refer as well to how our PSO system is working. The many supports in place during the Covid-19 pandemic helped us to get through those difficult times. We now need to undertake a complete review of our...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: It is a huge challenge and it was always going to be such for Ireland and every other European country. We are not alone. We have taken in some 25,000 people. The State we heard today is housing 16,000 to 17,000 people. There are real challenges in that because there are stages. Someone might arrive at Dublin Airport, Rosslare Port or another port and stay in Citywest for a period, then...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: -----are arriving within a short number of weeks but our goal is absolutely to make sure that it is an integrated all-of-government response.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Cabinet discussed this at length earlier. The experience on a smaller scale but similar in terms of the need to give those integrated connections, from Syrian refugees arriving, is that local authorities can play a role, especially where they combine with the community, voluntary and other sectors. They have a key role in it. There will be a real role in terms of the director of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Costs (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I recognise the importance of incentivising our young people to use public transport to establish sustainable habits from an early age. Setting public transport fares at appropriate levels is a key element to achieving this objective. The Deputy will be aware that a suite of measures is being introduced by Government to help with the rising cost of living, including a 20% average fare...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: As I said, we are very clear that we are not saying that road will never proceed. However, it does have to be within an overall budget and Transport Infrastructure Ireland will have to assess how it will manage and deliver projects, so it has not completely gone to waste and it could well be used. My understanding of how this process works is that the CPO only comes in at the very later...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: In line with the whole-of-government approach, my Department and the National Transport Authority have been working on practical and meaningful responses to the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis. From the beginning of the crisis, newly-arrived Ukrainians have been able to avail of free travel from their port of entry to the end destination on any public service obligation or Local Link service....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 126 together. As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding regarding the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I am aware. I said that I looked, in real detail, at the project. There is significant housing development planned. There is controversy in that regard not just in respect of the housing development, but also in respect of retail developments in that area. We have to be careful here because it was the subject of a court decision. The national Planning Regulator has been very specific in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: It is not that far away from it.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I know that.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I will go back to the point about not creating false promises. There is an issue in terms of the fact that we have a roads programme that is the length of one's arm and beyond, and a budget which, this decade, will not be able to deliver a fraction of it. That is before we look at the examples of these additional roads projects which are not at as advanced or developed stages as others....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I am.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: That is why I was concerned. I apologised at the time.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: My understanding is that a reply was sent.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Network (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I will have to go back and double-check that. I will continue to engage and, as I said, to look at those safety issues and look to see are there ways in which we can address some of them without necessarily having the full road scheme, which I do not believe would be able to get the budget within the constraints that I see ahead of us for the next ten years. Yes, we do want to address those...