Results 11,101-11,120 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electric Vehicles (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: It is complicated and we must be careful not to create further inequality if the cars coming in are only for the very wealthy, for example. There is a wider global supply chain issue and the car supply process is currently broken for a variety of reasons, including the war in Ukraine and other factors. We are not seeing the usual delivery of either electric or other vehicles. In that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Tolls (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: Under the Roads Acts, 1993 to 2015, the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned and, therefore, matters relating to the day-to-day operations regarding national roads, including toll roads and the establishment of a system of tolls, are within the remit of TII. More...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Tolls (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, and I have spent much time in recent months trying to consider various measures to support or help the haulage sector. We will continue to do so at a difficult time. Included in this we examined whether we could remove the restrictions on the tunnel. The Deputy is correct that trucks do not pay tolls but we considered whether we could remove the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Tolls (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: Every tunnel and road has different characteristics but this tunnel has its own characteristics. We lead all the trucks around the M50-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Tolls (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: No. In every way, we must look to improve air quality and traffic causes some of the pollutants that affect lung health. The effect tends to be more localised. This tunnel, access to the port and management of that port have certain characteristics that are required to be managed in an organised way. There are deep tunnels all over the world and each has different characteristics as to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Tolls (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I will quite happily provide further background from my Department.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Statutory Instruments (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I expect to do so in the next couple of weeks. There will be no one happier than me to be able to do so. I do not believe that in the Department or, certainly, in the political system there is any reluctance or any desire for delay. I agree with the Deputy that we have to value, protect and provide for all our transport workers, especially as the ballot went through. We should honour the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Statutory Instruments (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I am happy to give this reassurance. With regard to the issue that it is not in sight, it will be done in this quarter. It is in the absolute final stages. I would have preferred to have had it earlier but we have to go through the statutory process and get all of the regulatory measures in place. This has been pretty much completed. It will be signed I expect, unless there is something...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electric Vehicles (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: Electric vehicles are the most prominent transport mitigation measure in the 2021 climate action plan. There is an ambitious target of 945,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030. This is challenging but indicates the scale of the transformation needed. I am acutely aware that the cost of electric vehicles remains an issue for many consumers and that supply chain issues globally have...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electric Vehicles (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I will begin with the wider point. The supports did evolve, with regard to very expensive cars being excluded from the grant scheme. It will continue to evolve. As electric vehicles become much more commonplace we will need to look at targeted supports, consider the issue of social justice in how we do it and support the likes of the second-hand market. We are looking at measures to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Transport Policy (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The regulation of the small public service vehicle, SPSV, sector, including vehicle age limits for SPSVs, is a matter for the National Transport Authority, NTA, under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.  In this regard, the Deputy should be aware that the NTA has extended vehicle age limits several times since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with standard...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Transport Policy (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: While I do not want to be too dogmatic in my response, at the same time these measures were introduced during Covid, correctly to my mind. We are now coming out of it, touch wood and please God, and it is appropriate to return to those standards. We have extended the grants that we introduced for the electrification of the taxi fleet because that will bring real benefits and will help...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Transport Policy (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: Absolutely, there is an obligation on passengers to pay their fare. There are real benefits to card payments and a lot of customers have moved to them because of Covid. I use a lot of taxis myself and I am surprised that there are still a good number of drivers who do not accept cards. That must be restricting their customer base at this stage because it is so common now for people not to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Statutory Instruments (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the Deputy for her question and for the opportunity to update the House on the status of the CIÉ regular wages scheme. As many Deputies are aware, the CIÉ Group has two pension schemes, namely the regular wages scheme and the 1951 superannuation scheme and issues relating to these schemes are primarily a matter for the trustees, the CIÉ Group and its employees....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Climate Action Plan 2021 set a target of 945,000 EVs by 2030. The Deputy will be aware that the Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years, to facilitate the expansion of EVs in the Irish car fleet. A draft National Charging Infrastructure Strategy has been published for public...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Compulsory Purchase Orders (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: As outlined in my response to Deputy Stanton’s question, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) plans the National Roads Programme and delivers it in conjunction with local authorities. The Programme is developed taking account of Government policy as set out in the Programme for Government, the National Development Plan and the Climate Action Plan and is progressed based on available...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I think it important to set out what are two different processes currently underway, both of which relate to the potential future development of metro in Dublin. Firstly we have the MetroLink project, which is likely the largest ever public investment project in the history of the State. It faces two imminent and important milestones in the coming months - Government approval of the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Investigations (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 provides for the establishment of commissions of investigation which can investigate matters of significant public concern. While the Department undertakes certain investigations as part of its various functions and responsibilities, there are no Commissions of Investigation under the 2004 Act currently ongoing under the remit of my Department and no...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Strategies (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I am fully committed to strengthening public transport offerings and progressively making them accessible for all, especially for Persons with Disabilities, Persons with Reduced Mobility, and Older People. To this end, all new transport infrastructure and services are accessible from the start and older facilities are gradually being retrofitted. I welcome the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (26 Apr 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Deputy will be aware that the Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years. A national charging infrastructure strategy was published for consultation at the end of this March which sets out a pathway to stay ahead of demand over the critical period out to 2025....