Results 12,001-12,020 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Other Questions: Airport Development Projects (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: I thank Deputy Clare Daly for substituting for Deputy Wallace. I am not sure who is the more formidable adversary in this House this time, but I will give her the same answer I would have given Deputy Wallace. The Deputy will be aware that the daa holds statutory responsibility for the management, operation and development of Dublin Airport. In line with this responsibility, it is a matter...

Other Questions: Airport Development Projects (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: The Deputy will probably be aware that at the moment, the daa is in the process of examining the scope of a further EIS for the purposes of seeking a review of the operating restrictions foreseen for Dublin Airport under the existing planning permission for the north runway and has recently gone to public consultation on this matter. This consultation provides an opportunity to contribute to...

Other Questions: Airport Development Projects (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: The issue of emissions is obviously separate from the issue of noise. Both issues must be separated and will be rigorously addressed. I assure the Deputy that I will watch very closely the activities of the daa in mitigating noise. I can give her the assurances I gave her previously in the House that it is imperative that the interests of the residents are looked after, that the...

Other Questions: Harbour Authorities (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: I share the Deputy's view that if there is an operating loss of the size he mentioned and the chief executives and directors are getting huge sums of money that is wrong. I do not feel comfortable with that and never would. I accept that on the last occasion we discussed this issue I said I would meet with anybody the Deputy wished to bring in and I would be delighted to do so. However, as...

Other Questions: Driver Licensing Exchange Agreements (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: I thank Deputy Murphy for his question. He is pretty fast out of the traps. ​Following the referendum in the UK on leaving the European Union, the UK remains an EU member state for the time being. It is the understanding of the Government of Ireland that the UK intends at some point to invoke Article 50 of the European treaties, following which there is a two-year period...

Other Questions: Driver Licensing Exchange Agreements (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: I will do that. There are two distinct matters at issue: driving in other jurisdictions on a temporary visitor basis and exchanging driving licences on taking up residence in another jurisdiction. On the issue of driving in another jurisdiction on a temporary visitor basis the right to drive in another jurisdiction on a national licence is based on international road traffic conventions....

Other Questions: Driver Licensing Exchange Agreements (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: My Department is vigorously addressing the difficulties which we face as a result of Brexit. I will ensure that the issue raised by Deputy Murphy is among those addressed by it.

Other Questions: Rural Transport Services (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: ​I thank Deputy Connolly for the question. My Department had no input into the preparation of the Galway transport strategy. While we would be supportive of the objectives contained in the strategy to promote more sustainable forms of transport for Galway, the development of the strategy is a matter for the local authorities concerned and we have no...

Other Questions: Harbour Authorities (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for raising this issue. I am not sure how helpful I can be to him, but I will be as helpful as I possibly can. I understand that the Deputy has previously raised these issues with my predecessors in relation to payments to the CEO of the port company and concerning payments made to a director of the company. Every commercial State body must disclose the...

Other Questions: Harbour Authorities (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: I hear what Deputy Boyd Barrett is saying. I am not in a position either to contradict or confirm what he said about the legal action. My information is that there is a legal action going on, while the Deputy says there is not. I will resolve that in the next two or three days by checking up on what the Deputy is saying. I am not suggesting in any way that either party is acting in bad...

Other Questions: Road Improvement Schemes (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: I hope I can help the Deputy in this matter. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, together with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, has announced the establishment, as referred to by the Deputy, of the local infrastructure housing activation fund of €150 million, to be matched by €50 million in local authority funding to relieve critical...

Other Questions: Road Improvement Schemes (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: Are we taking them separately?

Other Questions: Road Improvement Schemes (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: I think grouping is gone, is it not?

Other Questions: Road Network (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: I am afraid it is a reality in which we are now working. I remind the Deputy that public funding for Ireland's national roads fell significantly during the recession. From a peak of €1.75 billion in 2007, capital and current expenditure on national roads reduced to €433 million in 2015. The start of year capital and current expenditure allocation for 2016 is €402...

Other Questions: Road Network (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: I assure the Deputy that I will do everything I can in the coming months to ensure that we have a capital budget for the motorways and other roads that is as large as possible, because I am aware of the problem every day of my life. What is called the steady State expenditure, which is such a high proportion of the money we have spent on roads, explains a lot of the problem to which the...

Other Questions: Road Improvement Schemes (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: ​The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is a statutory function of local authorities in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on such roads are a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded from...

Other Questions: Road Improvement Schemes (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: First, I will outline my understanding of the scheme. Grant funding was provided under the scheme for road improvement works on the Clarke’s Hill-Moneygourney Road. Funding totalling approximately €3 million was provided between 2001 and 2005 and the works were undertaken in phases, with the most recent phase covering a section from Foxwood, where the previous contract ended,...

Priority Questions: Road Tolls (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: I will not intervene directly at this stage because it would not be appropriate. The affairs of a private company are involved and a Minister would be very reluctant to become involved, especially when, as far as I can see, this is a commercial dispute about charges. As I said to Deputy Munster, when I meet TII I will raise the issue again. I will ask what it thinks, if anything, can be...

Priority Questions: Road Tolls (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: I am conscious that eFlow has approximately 300,000 tag account customers. I understand it has already notified customers of the change. As I said, it is currently implementing a communications plan to contact all customers, including those who use CRG toll roads by phone, e-mail, SMS and letter. It will also be running a broader communications plan in the national and local media and...

Other Questions: Road Network (19 Jul 2016)

Shane Ross: I do not disagree with the sentiments of Deputy Troy that the roads are in dire need of additional funds. It is something we are addressing as a matter of urgency. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in regard to the national roads programme. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads is a...