Results 15,521-15,540 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Harbour Authorities. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Minister of State did not point out that those proposals include the removal from the harbour authorities of a number of public representatives from councils around the country. I appreciate that he acknowledged the letter he received from the Association of County and City Councils, but he had to do it. In their letter, they state they do not want public representatives to be removed...

Harbour Authorities. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: One of them is in Drogheda.

Harbour Authorities. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is another issue. The local authority representative should be appointed by the local authority, not by the Minister. That would be local democracy in action.

Harbour Authorities. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: I know that is not the way it is going. We will have more henchmen.

Harbour Authorities. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: It is no house at all. Whoever is in power puts in their own people.

Taxi Regulations. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: The taxi regulator is undertaking an economic review of the impact made on competition and choice by opening up the market. A key issue in considering all aspects must be the economic impact. Ultimately, there must be choice for consumers.

Taxi Regulations. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is right.

Human Rights Issues. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: The issues that brought this matter to our attention were the problems at Guantanamo Bay, the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the question of extraordinary rendition. Does the Minister agree that the quicker that review is done, the better? We have been told that Shannon Airport has been used by certain aeroplanes which may have been involved in extraordinary rendition in other...

Human Rights Issues. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: Absolutely.

Human Rights Issues. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: I refer to flights which may have been used for extraordinary rendition and whether the Garda Síochána can inspect such flights. The Department of Transport has the power to refuse permission for a plane to land. Will the Minister consider the reasons for refusing permission to land in light of this issue? Of the thousands of flights which have sought permission to land only five have...

Light Rail Projects. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: The quicker they are built the better.

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: Question 82: To ask the Minister for Transport the way the 7% cut in the public transport investment programme will affect the roll out of public transport infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40252/08]

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: I protest at the absence of my two priority questions, which the Minister refused to accept, and with no appeal to the Ceann Comhairle. They related to the €10 travel tax and also——

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: I accept that. That is the problem, that the Minister can arrogantly refuse to deal with the key issues of the day.

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: The absence of that issue, and the question on the €200 car parking levy is not acceptable to us. On the Minister's response to this question, I do not accept that cutting back money means that all the projects will continue as proposed. He is spending €70 million less on public transport in this year's budget than he did in last year's. Clearly, something must suffer. What are the...

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Ceann Comhairle does not have a role in this. The Minister refused to take the questions.

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: The sums do not add up. I repeat that the Minister is spending €70 million less on public transport initiatives and new works. Clearly, there are cutbacks, there are delays or there are contracts not being signed. Is it perhaps that Dublin Bus will not get the buses it is expecting? It got 100 buses so far this year and it is expecting another 100. In the fine print of the budget there...

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: ——without reference to me, to Deputy Broughan or to the Ceann Comhairle. The Minister has refused to face the arguments on the travel tax and on aviation policy, which will bank up.

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: Aer Lingus will lose €30 million on this.

Public Transport. (12 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Minister is refusing to debate them here.