Results 11,461-11,480 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Bus Services (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I have already answered the Deputy's question. I will consider it. Nobody in this House has a monopoly on sympathy for those whose jobs are threatened: no party, no group, no individual. We all have exactly the same sympathy. I do not want to address the operational issues faced by Bus Éireann but it is a company in an expanding market that last year lost €5 million and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Airport Development Projects (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: ​I am somewhat confused by the question. There is no review of the second runway. I will answer what I think the Deputy meant by his question. The second runway has been decided on and given the go-ahead quite a long time ago. The review to which he refers is, I suspect, something different. If the Deputy will forgive me I will answer the question I think he wished to ask. He is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I totally reject any suggestion that it was in the interests of anyone to leak the report. It was highly inconvenient that the report was leaked. I have not sat on it for months. Deputy Troy should be more accurate about the matter. The reality is that I had intended to bring it to Cabinet this week. The Cabinet meeting was curtailed and a one-hour discussion was arranged because of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: Decisions will be made after that consultation.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: The Deputy will know perfectly well that I do not and cannot get involved in the day-to-day running or operational activities of Iarnród Éireann in any way. We make policy, we do not interfere with what the company does in car parks or anywhere else. That is not our business and it would be absolutely wrong if we did interfere. The Deputy addressed the issue of funding....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Bus Services (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I thank Deputy Munster for the question. It is topical because of the critical situation in which Bus Éireann finds itself. Since December 2010 the NTA has operated as the regulator of licensed bus services and all commercial operators must apply for a licence under the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009. I am unaware of the forum as referred to by the Deputy. It is worth noting...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rail Network (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I congratulate Deputy Troy on finishing the Dublin marathon in four hours and 15 minutes. It was an extraordinary achievement. The Deputy will only have to stay here for the next hour and a half, so he should be able to manage that. The question before the House is very fair in many ways. I have no idea about the leak. I regret the leak and I think it is a great pity that it happened....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network Expansion (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I understand that the Deputy's Question relates to the Rail Review 2016 rather than the DART Underground. I intend to bring the Rail Review 2016 to Cabinet next week and after that it will be published. The National Transport Authority (NTA) will also then commence a public consultation process. This is in line with what I previously undertook to do. Despite some suggestions to the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Services Provision (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: ​As the Deputy is aware, my Department's Strategic Investment Framework for Land Transport outlines a number of key principles for land transport investment proposals.  Included among these principles is the need to maintain and renew renew strategically important elements the existing network, as well as the need to address current and future congestion in urban areas...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Funding (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: ​An amount of €13.836 million was voted for capital funding of tourism services in 2016.  This amount includes a provision of €0.97 million for the Lough Derg Tourism Development project which was provided for under the 2014 Capital Stimulus Plan and which does not arise in 2017.  The 2016 allocation is in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Brexit Issues (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: Brexit has been identified as a major strategic risk facing my Department, and I and my officials are continuing to prioritise work on identifying and planning measures to mitigate these risks. The Taoiseach has already outlined Ireland’s specific concerns arising from Brexit, particularly in relation to Northern Ireland, the peace process, North-South relations, citizenship...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Tolls (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: As the Deputy may know, my Department is in the process of developing the transport sector's contribution to the National Mitigation Plan;  this will include proposals for a range of measures aimed at supporting a transition to low carbon technologies.  In addition, last week I launched for public consultation a draft national policy framework on alternative...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Navigation Orders (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: There are no plans at present for a change in policy in relation to the granting of munitions permits under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973. There is a well-established procedure for considering applications from airlines for permits to land in Ireland or overfly Ireland under the Order. In the normal course, in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Roads Maintenance Funding (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in Tipperary is the statutory responsibility of Tipperary 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...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Capital Expenditure Programme (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: ​In light of the many competing priorities within Government and current financial constraints I was pleased that my Department secured additional funding in Budget 2017.  I am particularly pleased that funding for the land transport programme will increase next year by €90m to €1.46 billion. With this funding my Department will continue to support Smarter Travel...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Pollution (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: ​At present, I have no plans to regulate for the restriction of high emission vehicles in urban centres. However, I do understand the Deputy's concerns in relation to air pollution. I am conscious of the need to transition Ireland's fleet to cleaner and greener technologies and my position on this is reflected in a draft national policy framework on alternative...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: EU Regulations (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: ​As I indicated to the Deputy on 29 September, 2016, in response to Question No. 266 on that date, legislation is currently being prepared in my Department, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General.  It is the objective to complete this secondary legislation by the end of this year. The transposition of the requirements of Regulation 598 of 2014 relating to the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Services Provision (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I and my Department have raised the ongoing dispute regarding Norwegian Air International's (NAI) application for a foreign air carrier permit with the US Department of Transportation on a number of occasions, urging them to make a positive decision on the application, in accordance with the provisions of the EU-US Open Skies Agreement. As I have stated previously, I fully support the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: ​​I understand that the Deputy is referring to the 2011 EU Commission White Paper 'Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area', which included a target that 30% of road freight over 300 km should shift to other modes such as rail or waterborne transport by 2030.  This would be an overall target for the Union,...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport Provision (2 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: ​Budget 2017 has allocated an additional €31 million to public transport services (PSO and rural transport) when compared with this year's allocation. It is a statutory function of the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the Dublin Transport Act 2008 to decide upon the exact allocation to each operator. The NTA is currently engaged in discussions with the relevant operators...