Results 11,641-11,660 of 13,214 for speaker:Pat Gallagher

Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits. (27 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I thank the Senator for raising this issue and I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, who cannot be here. Entitlement to maternity benefit is contingent in the first instance on entitlement to statutory leave. The right to statutory maternity leave is established under the maternity protection legislation, which is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice,...

Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits. (27 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I will convey that to the Minister.

Seanad: Port Development. (27 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I thank Senator Morrissey for providing me with this opportunity to report to the Seanad on certain matters concerning Dublin Port Company. As indicated in response to Parliamentary Question No. 155 of 3 May 2006, there are no proposals to move Dublin Port from its current location, which the Senator has welcomed. As the Senator is no doubt aware, Dublin Port is a State-owned company...

Written Answers — Rural Transport Initiative: Rural Transport Initiative (22 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The Rural Transport Initiative (RTI) is a pilot scheme, under which funding is made available to 34 community-based organisations across the country, including South Westmeath Rural Transport Association Ltd., to address the transport needs of their rural areas through the provision of local transport services. Pobal administers the RTI on behalf of the Department of Transport and, together...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (22 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: There are currently nine Transport Officers serving in my Department and this number will shortly increase to 18. Procedures are underway to recruit new Transport Officers in preparation for the transfer of the duties to the newly formed Road Safety Authority and decentralisation to Loughrea. Transport Officers attend all multi-agency checkpoints throughout the country. The schedule for these...

Written Answers — Water Sports Vehicles: Water Sports Vehicles (20 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Under the Maritime Safety Act 2005 local authorities have been given the necessary powers to control the operation of jet skis and other fast powered craft in their functional areas. The framework for regulating such craft came from the 2000 Report of the Action Group on Small Powered Recreational Craft (including personal watercraft) which concluded that the primary public policy response...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (20 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The Taxi Regulation Act 2003 established the Commission for Taxi Regulation as the independent body responsible for the development and maintenance of the regulatory framework for the control and operation of small public service vehicles, including taxis, and their drivers. One of the specific objectives given to the Commission in the 2003 Act is to promote access to small public service...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (20 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The Taxi Regulation Act 2003 established the Commission for Taxi Regulation as the independent body responsible for the development and maintenance of the regulatory framework for the control and operation of small public service vehicles, including taxis, and their drivers. One of the specific objectives given to the Commission in the 2003 Act is to promote access to small public service...

Written Answers — Rural Transport Services: Rural Transport Services (20 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The Rural Transport Initiative (RTI) is a pilot scheme, under which funding is made available to thirty-four community-based organisations across the country to address the transport needs of their rural areas through the provision of local transport services. South Kildare Community Transport Ltd. is one of the pilot projects being funded under the RTI. While Pobal administers the RTI on...

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (20 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 331, 332, 334, 335, 336, 337 and 338 together. Limerick docks are owned and operated by Shannon Foynes Port Company. The company is a State-owned company established under the Harbours Act 1996. The Act provides that the principal objects of the company include the provision of such facilities, services and lands within its harbour for ships, goods and...

Written Answers — Marine Safety: Marine Safety (15 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I have previously pointed out to the House that I am aware of the importance of providing emergency towing vessel (ETV) facilities to protect our coasts, including the possibility of sharing such services with the UK in relation to the East coast. There may also be advantages in having an EU-wide approach to this issue. An internal Working Group set up in the Department of Communications,...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (15 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 to 47, inclusive, together. Directive 2003/59/EC will make it a requirement for professional drivers to undertake a basic professional training course and continuous professional development. The Road Safety Authority Act 2006 confers responsibility for relevant elements of implementation of this directive to the new Road Safety Authority. The Authority...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I fully understand from where Senator Paddy Burke is coming in tabling this amendment but I would like to clarify the position and to refer to the word "emergency". The word "emergency" has deliberately not been defined in the section, as it would be impossible to draw up an exhaustive list of circumstances that would merit emergency status. The genuine emergency defence provision was...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I gave this matter serious consideration. I need not emphasise that drinking and driving in Ireland is recognised as one of the most serious contributory factors in road collisions. Evidence shows that the incidence of drink driving is increasing among the younger age groups. There is widespread acceptance among responsible motorists and society as a whole that driving under the influence of...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I indicated yesterday that I would consider this and I wish to clarify a point on which I may have given the wrong impression to the House regarding the fines Bill that will come before the House. This fixed charge does not relate to that Bill which will refer to fines in court, whereas this is an administrative sanction or fixed charge. Rather than have the Minister increase the fines on 1...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I hope that my amendment No. 6 will cater for Senator Paddy Burke's amendment. I have further considered bringing forward amendments to section 5 in light of Senators' comments on Committee Stage. The intention of the Bill in respect of the fixed charge and disqualification process is that where a person is found to have exceeded 100 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, or the equivalent levels...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I have further considered bringing forward amendments to section 5 in light of Senator Paddy Burke's comments on Committee Stage. My amendment No. 8 should address the Senator's concern. The issue here is that where a person is alleged to have committed an offence of driving, or being in charge of a vehicle, when the concentration of alcohol present in his or her body exceeded 100 mg of...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: There was some debate yesterday about the level of fines which I considered overnight, in light of Senator Quinn's Committee Stage amendment and the ensuing debate. I propose therefore to increase the fine on summary conviction from €1,000 to €2,000, which is a compromise as Senator Quinn had proposed raising it to €3,000. This has due regard for the seriousness of the offence and the...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: As I indicated on Committee Stage, I took the view this was not an unreasonable provision to include in the Bill as it seeks to control a charge which would be levied on an individual in order to meet a regulatory requirement. However, I recognise that there may be concerns that the imposition of such a control may dissuade service providers from offering the necessary training. Having...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: We discussed this on Committee Stage. I appreciate Senator Burke's concern that licence holders may not be aware that their licence has expired. He referred to the fact that motor tax reminders are issued by licensing authorities and suggested that driving licence reminders should also issue. Motor tax reminders are issued from the vehicle registration unit of the Department of the...