Results 1,381-1,400 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: This is an important issue, and Deputies want clarity, as I said. First, the delay here is because we did not have an Assembly in the North. That has been very regrettable, but we did not sit back and do nothing. The publication, as part of the strategic environmental assessment, SEA, of the review gave the broad outline of what is contained within it. I do not expect significant...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rail Network (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The strategic rail review is very ambitious and involves about €30 billion over the next 30 years. We have to spend €1 billion a year and it has set out the various priorities.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rail Network (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: We are assessing the timelines now for the spending.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rail Network (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I will be perfectly honest. I do not think we are going to build a new rail line to Wexford and the south east. It makes much more sense to use a lot of the existing assets and make the most of them. It is not just about the Wexford to Dublin line. We also need to reopen the Rosslare to Waterford line which will improve connectivity between Wexford and Waterford. It will also allow us to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Projects (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I will look at that. I hear what the Deputy is saying about the need for strategic corridors to the north west. That will involve a variety of different projects, not just roads but also investment in rail and bus services. That is why we have a difficult budget allocation process. The rolling out of further Connecting Ireland rural bus services requires a great deal of funding. On...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rail Network (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I thank Deputy Murphy for her kind words. I am eager to see improved rail services rolled out across the network. We know that when people are provided with higher frequencies and reliable timetables, they will make the switch to public transport. We all know there are a number of constraints on the Dublin to Wexford line. The all-island strategic rail review highlighted issues such as...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rail Network (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Speed and frequency are the issues. More frequency gives better speeds. As the Deputy said, if someone has to wait from 7.30 a.m. until midday or 1.30 p.m. for the next train, that is very slow and a long time. There is a real case for looking at this proposal, which has been mentioned in public, to run shuttle services to Wicklow and then with an extension of the DART to Wicklow, to run...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Projects (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I am very much in favour of this project, especially of the section bypassing Tipperary town, which will advance faster than any other element of the project. We want the through-traffic out of Tipperary town straightaway. I recall meeting representatives of the local chamber of commerce. Some 30% of local shop fronts are not in operation, in the main, because there are so many trucks...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Projects (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Those ancestors helped on the first Bianconi coach route from Clonmel to Limerick, which went through Tipperary town. It did not go through Bansha; it went further south. In honour of those ancestors, I look forward to seeing this happen.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Projects (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As I said in my response to Deputy McGrath, I can confirm that approximately €411 million of Exchequer capital funds were provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2024. These allocations were announced by the Department of Transport and TII on the 22 February 2024. The N17 Knock to Collooney scheme has been identified in the national development plan. This...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Projects (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I will not have those figures until we get the business case, as is the case with what I said in respect of the Cahir to Limerick Junction road. It is at the business case phase that we start to get an indicative outline of the potential costs. I agree with the Deputy that road safety is our key first objective.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Projects (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: We provided specific funding to TII to examine whether we can improve our existing national road network, even if we are not doing the full motorway or new project appraisal or development and whether we can improve safety measures on all carriageways, particularly national roads, through a variety of different measures, such as investment in junctions, speed measurement measures and other...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Antisocial behaviour is a societal issue to which public transport is, unfortunately, not immune. Those who regularly use and work in our public transport system are most directly impacted by any incident that occurs on the network. I assure the Deputy that all public transport operators are expending significant resources introducing measures to counter the impact of antisocial behaviour...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Government, with the transport operators, will protect passengers and staff. The Deputy is right that SIPTU has done very good work in highlighting the concern. I had a meeting with SIPTU officials and some of the drivers who have experienced what is more than antisocial behaviour. It can be terrifying when people are subject to assault or intimidation. No one in the Government wants...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I accept the Deputy's point. As he said, he is speaking about a division within An Garda Síochána. Again, in regular communication with An Garda Síochána on the matter we have asked for advice on what is the best structure. We have to take the advice from the Garda Commissioner. In this case he is best placed to assess how we might want to deploy. We do have special...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: -----with An Garda Síochána deciding to manage or operate in a different way.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: We can never completely eradicate it but we do have to take action in every instance to try to stop it. One of the things that to my mind really does work, and it is more on the bus service rather than rail or light rail services, is engagement with the community. It is often about community policing. A lot of the time with the bus drivers I have met it is often about an isolated bus...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Projects (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the Deputy for his question. Approximately €411 million of Exchequer capital funds have been provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2024. These allocations were announced by the Department of Transport and TII on 22 February 2024. With regard to the N24 Cahir to Limerick Junction scheme, I am pleased to confirm that €650,000 was...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: In order to encourage more people to use public transport, Government is investing in significant service and infrastructure improvements, as well as continuing to support the various fare initiatives. All of these improvements do however require significant levels of funding and we need to make sure we utilise these funds in the best way possible. The estimated total cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (4 Jul 2024)

Eamon Ryan: In April 2023, the National Transport Authority published a new National Fares Strategy, aimed at delivering more consistent and equitable fares. Subsequently, in January 2024, the NTA published its fare determination which introduced specific changes to fares, including the formalisation of new ‘Dublin City’ and ‘Dublin Commuter’ Zone boundaries, simplified...