Results 14,061-14,080 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Connection to Heathrow is key as is an early morning flight. I agree with the Chair on the future of the airline to support business development in the area. To reflect on this, my understanding is that the Shannon Group is doing well. The estate itself, from my sense of it and looking at the balance sheet-----

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: They cross over and benefit each other. My view as we come out of the immediate crisis is, and I would say this because it is where I come from, that we should position ourselves. If I were to advise Aer Lingus directly, I would say it should position itself as a low-carbon carrier across the Atlantic. Even though the differences are marginal. There is the model Aer Lingus was using...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: If I can just finish this point because it is important. I understand that for transatlantic flights some people might have bet on the large aircraft with multi-engines and two tiers.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Apparently they are not as efficient or working out as well for long haul. The model Aer Lingus was pursuing with twin engine-----

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: -----is a more efficient model.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: It is not just better for emissions it is also more cost competitive. Whether it is Dublin Airport or Shannon Airport, the ability for us to position ourselves in this way as a hub for transatlantic traffic using twin engine, lower emission and lower cost vehicles is where the strategic opportunity for us.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I will. We looked at this in real depth throughout the crisis. Last week, air travel was 50% of what it was prior to Covid. It is still in crisis and there is no two ways about it. During this crisis we looked at all options. When we say we will support a specific route, we run into European state aid rules. There are rules on what we can do and what is described as a PSO route. We are...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Yes.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Yes. Looking at other similar exercises whereby big broadband plans are rolled out, there is often a period when all the operational issues are teased out. The first six months or the first year are delayed, but then, when it is done right - and both the Department and NBI are doing it right with local authorities - one can accelerate. The metaphor I would use is the vaccine programme....

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: That makes sense. It is something the National Cyber Security Centre would be best placed to oversee and manage.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Its job is to advise-----

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: We will be able to have a much better conversation about this after Monday because we will have the NDP out. I am conscious I am here to talk about the Estimates rather than anything broader. If I may, because this-----

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I do not mind at all having the discussion. There is an article in today's Irish Independentwritten by Fionnán Sheahan in which he states, correctly, that there are different views on this, so we will put it that way.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: That is politics.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: That is healthy.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I will say why I believe the investment in bypasses will be critical. I will give two examples. We have loads of roads projects in planning all over the country, and if we built all of them, we would not have money for anything else. They would soak up the entire budget, and even then we would not have enough. We have to prioritise and allocate limited resources. As for bypasses, the...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: We need the Adare bypass.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: We would want to. Well, we would certainly want improvement.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Adare is clogged, and everyone knows it. It is a beautiful village with beautiful facilities that we have to protect. I will give an even more important immediate example. The Chairman said earlier that Limerick is a large industrial development centre for the country, which is true. Significant industrial output comes out of Limerick. Most of it heads on the road out to Cahir and down...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Communications
Vote 31 - Transport (29 Sep 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Large numbers of trucks head out. They all run through Tipperary town, and there are Deputies from Tipperary who rightly say that that is killing that town, that 30% of the shops are vacant and that the people living in the town are dominated by trucks coming through.