Results 11,861-11,880 of 13,270 for speaker:Pat Gallagher

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (9 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Significant investment has been made to date under the National Development Plan (2000-2006) in acquiring new rolling stock for Iarnród Éireann. All of the public transport vehicles purchased under the NDP for the services by the company have been specified to full accessible standards. I understand that allowing for the completion of refurbishment work to some older DART (electric)...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (9 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 264 and 282 together. Significant progress has been made in recent years in the introduction of wheelchair accessible buses to the Bus Éireann fleet. Since the year 2000, all buses purchased by the company for urban services are low floor, wheelchair accessible. That purchasing policy will continue as the bus fleet is replaced and expanded. Bus Éireann has...

Written Answers — Marine Accidents: Marine Accidents (4 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: First of all I would like to extend my sincere condolences to the families of Glen Cott and Jan Sankowski who were tragically lost in this incident. On 31st March, the Coast Guard was alerted and immediately tasked resources to the scene of the incident involving the fishing vessel Maggie B. One crew member was rescued from the water, clinging to the upturned life raft. Based on information...

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Dublin Port is a State-owned company established under the Harbours Act 1996. It is the country's premier port in terms of throughput and turnover, and as such is of vital strategic importance to our trading economy. The Act provides that the principal objects of the company include the provision of such facilities, services and lands in its harbour for ships, goods and passengers as it...

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Shannon Foynes Port 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 in its harbour for ships, goods and passengers as it considers necessary. The company is required to take all proper measures for the management, control, operation and development...

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Responsibility for Tralee and Fenit Harbour and for 12 other regional harbours operating under the Harbours Act 1946, transferred from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to the Department of Transport with effect from 1 January 2006. Funding of €600,000 was provided in 2004 to Tralee and Fenit Harbour towards repairs to the viaduct and for the widening of the...

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Current Government policy in relation to the port sector is outlined in the Ports Policy Statement, which was published in January 2005 and is available on the Department of Transport's website. This document identifies important policy issues to be addressed in the short to medium term. One of the key challenges that lies ahead is the provision of adequate in-time port capacity, particularly...

Written Answers — Marine Accidents: Marine Accidents (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The Irish Coast Guard of the Department has responsibility for preparedness for and response to marine casualty and pollution incidents within the Irish Pollution Responsibility Zone. This responsibility includes initiating, controlling and directing marine casualty and counter-pollution operations. Ireland complies with all EU legislation in this regard. The incident to which the Deputy...

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: There are no proposals to move Dublin Port to Bremore in Drogheda. A study is currently underway in my Department to examine future port capacity requirements, particularly for unitised trade. This process flows out of the Government's Ports Policy Statement published in January 2005. The Policy Statement identified the provision of adequate port capacity as a key challenge for the future. It...

Written Answers — Marine Accidents: Marine Accidents (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I am not aware of an incident such as the one to which the Deputy refers. However, an incident occurred on the days 11 and 12 March in the UK Pollution Responsibility Zone of the Irish Sea, and may be the one the Deputy has in mind. This incident of 11-12 March was managed by the relevant UK authority, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. In towing the vessel involved in the incident, a...

Written Answers — Irish Coast Guard: Irish Coast Guard (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Consultants retained by my Department to conduct a study of the Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) made over one hundred recommendations for the future development of the service having regard to international best practice and value for money. The recommendations concern IRCG functions, structure and operations. A number of recommendations are strategic in nature, for example reducing the number of...

Port Development. (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Current Government policy regarding the port sector is outlined in the ports policy statement which I launched while serving as Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in January 2005. This document identifies important policy issues to be addressed in the short to medium term. The policy statement aims to better equip the port sector and its...

Port Development. (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The Deputy's question was a general one relating to ports and the Government policy thereon. Dublin is included in that. As an indication of the importance of Dublin Port, while 99% of goods goes through all our ports, approximately 59% of our lift on-lift off traffic goes through Dublin, as does almost 80% of our roll on-roll off traffic. Dublin Port accounts for approximately 50% of both...

Port Development. (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: No decision has been taken on that. It will be interesting to see from the report which will be made available to us by Fisher Associates what the demands on and proposals for Dublin will be. We should await the outcome of that, which should not take more than two or three months, and then establish what Dublin will require in the future.

Port Development. (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Regarding the ports policy statement, we must consider the macro situation and the capacity of the State and the entire island. Some of our goods are imported and exported through Larne and Belfast. It is not as simple as one might think to take a decision on these 52 acres. It is all integrated. I do not want to give the impression that nothing happened in Dublin during the past eight years....

Road Safety. (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Directive 2003/97 lays down new standards for the type approval of certain categories of vehicles, especially lorries, on the field of vision of drivers and requires that all new vehicles meet the new standards. The directive was transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Mechanically Propelled Vehicles Entry Into Service) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2004 as regards type...

Road Safety. (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I recognise the role played out by the Irish Road Haulage Association, IBEC and SIMI. I met representatives of the Irish Road Haulage Association today, specifically the director of the association, and it is very happy with the progress that has been made. Before dealing with the Deputy's supplementary question, I point out that on 12 April 2006 the European Commission published a...

Road Safety. (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I do not want the impression to be given that we can achieve this measure at the stroke of a pen. It involves a technical standard and requires approval from Europe. The EU is progressing the matter, although perhaps not as quickly as we would like. I assure the Deputy that we are taking ownership of the matter.

Road Safety. (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The technical solutions adopted by the member states to which the Deputy referred, namely Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, do not fully comply with the retrofitting requirements of EU Directive 2003/97. The matter is being pursued vigorously and we want to deal with it with the European Commission. Progress has been made. I have taken every opportunity to discuss the matter with...

Road Safety. (3 May 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I assure the Deputy if there are any further delays, a unilateral measure will then be considered.