Results 16,101-16,120 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I consider myself part of the system. System change is what we need to address the climate crisis we face. Part of that system change relates to transport. To go back to the earlier question, how do we go from releasing 12 million tonnes of carbon a year to releasing 6 million tonnes? One of the ways to do this is to change the entire transport system towards sustainable modes. The key...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: It will take a number of months. As the Deputy suggested, all rail lines lead to Dublin and this review was initially looking at providing high-speed rail connectivity between Dublin, Cork and Belfast but we have extended it. We first looked at extending it to Derry or Limerick, or both. The conclusion of the western rail corridor analysis was that we needed to go wider and to look at the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Government will develop and deliver a new clean air strategy which recognises exactly that, namely, that this is a matter of life and death in respect of which we need to be really progressive. We have started that with the provisions to end the burning of smoky fuels throughout the country, which is probably the most immediately critical initiative to improve air quality and which I...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I accept the NTA's explanation that, to date, the reason we have not purchased large numbers of double-deck electric vehicles is they were not available in models that were properly advanced or had been fully tested in the market. We are at the cutting edge of what is happening. It would be different if we had a bus transport system characterised by low, single-deck buses but we do not. In...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Projects (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of the relevant local authority in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from councils' own resources and supplemented by State road grants. The national development plan, NDP, as it stands provides for the gradual build-up of funding for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The €15 million in supports is designed for just those types of small individual taxi drivers and not for the big companies. It is a significant cash support, which increases further if drivers are using wheelchair-accessible vehicles. The uptake so far of 200 applications is a significant signal that this scheme is of real interest. It is a combination of that much-reduced cost of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Both Deputies are right that this is one of the industries which has suffered the worst. The ultimate way to get this industry restored is to see a return to normality in the coming months, with the roll-out of the vaccines and the lifting of restrictions, subject to the virus not taking off again, allowing business to come back. That is the first key thing that must happen. When I talk to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Deputy Gould is correct about the figure of 200 applications. That is the number of applications, however, and they have not all drawn down the grants yet. If they were all to draw down €20,000, however, then that would be €4 million out of a €15 million fund. I am confident and hopeful that we will allocate the full €15 million. It is still only a small...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: An efficient and low-emission public transport system forms a key part of this Government's vision for sustainable mobility. As public transport is responsible for less than 5% of our transport emissions, in absolute terms, converting public transport fleets to low-carbon alternatives will have a limited impact on national emission reductions. However, greening the public fleet does fulfil...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Park-and-Ride Facilities (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I am in an awkward position because the Leas-Cheann Comhairle is much more knowledgeable and has seen the response, but I am reluctant for other Deputies not to have that information. I will happily come back to answer the Deputy's questions in the supplementary reply, if she does not mind me providing the baseline information which will inform other Deputies in the same way as the Deputy is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Park-and-Ride Facilities (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Galway transport strategy set outs three potential locations: one on the west side of the city on the Bearna-Rahoon corridor, and two on the east side on the Dublin Road corridor and on the Claregalway N17 corridor. It also suggests there may be opportunities for small-scale developments on the Moycullen and Headford corridors. The strategy notes that existing rail-based park-and-ride...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Park-and-Ride Facilities (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I agree about the merits of a feasibility study for light rail in Galway. We will commission and deliver that. It is best done within the review of the Galway transport strategy which is due next year. It would also be done then at a time when, all going well, we will know whether we have got the planning permission through for the cross-link route. That would be one obvious route which...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with the Deputy. I recognise that Covid-19 has had a profound impact on small businesses across the country, with the public transport sector being especially affected as public health restrictions have necessarily discouraged people from travelling generally. Taxi and other small public service vehicle operators, who are particularly dependent on the hospitality and tourism...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I am committed to achieving substantial carbon abatement across Ireland's society and economy, or helping our society to do that, and securing an efficient and low emission transport system. The programme for Government climate action commitments represent an important step up in ambition, seeking to fundamentally change the nature of transport in Ireland and achieve a 7% average annual...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Deputy O'Rourke is absolutely right to focus on Connecting Ireland as a key element in our transport plans. To achieve the level of emissions reductions will involve everywhere and every place matters. Connecting Ireland is critical to achieve the national planning framework objective of better balanced regional development. The programme for Government committed to significant...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I should have said that we will discuss this on Committee Stage. The joint committee did very useful and good work in its assessment of the climate Bill at the pre-legislative scrutiny stage. I was very aware of those hearings yesterday which were very useful and interesting. I look forward to reading the committee's report on transport because in my mind it is the most challenging issue....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Infrastructure Provision (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: As the Deputy is aware the Programme for Government committed toward investing €1.8 billion in walking and cycling over the lifetime of this Government. I believe this investment will be hugely beneficial to our society, our health and our environment and it will support projects across the country, in both urban and rural Ireland, as this Government looks to fundamentally change the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Network (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Responsibility of TII and the Department Firstly, I would like to explain that, once funding arrangements have been put in place through my Department, under the Roads Act 1993-2015, the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Overall, TII is responsible for the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 63 together. BusConnects Dublin is a transformational programme of investment in both active travel and bus which will benefit generations of Dubliners and visitors alike. As the Deputies are aware BusConnects Dublin comprises a number of different elements. The two most well-known are the Core Bus Corridors, which relates to the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (24 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57, 81, 115, 305, 352 and 357 together. The Government’s policy regarding the increased use of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is primarily driven by the Climate Action Plan which sets a target of 936,000 EVs by 2030.  To support this EV transition, a network of 690 publicly accessible charge points is already available including circa 100 fast chargers,...