Results 1,621-1,640 of 25,713 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Authority (11 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory remit to report on fatal, serious and minor injury collisions on public roads. The RSA receives collision data from An Garda Síochána for this purpose and produces official statistics to help develop evidence-based road safety interventions. Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Policy (11 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Anti-social behaviour is a broad societal issue, to which public transport is unfortunately not immune, and it is those passengers and staff who regularly use and work within our public transport network who are most directly impacted by any safety or security incidents that may occur on the network. I can confirm that the commitment under the Programme for Government to ‘create a...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Policy (11 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Anti-social behaviour is a broad societal issue, to which public transport is unfortunately not immune, and it is those passengers and staff who regularly use and work within our public transport network who are most directly impacted by any safety or security incidents that may occur on the network. I can confirm that the commitment under the Programme for Government to ‘create a...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (11 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the EV charging network over the coming years. Having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles. Home charging is and will remain the primary charging method for most Irish EV owners as it’s convenient and...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (11 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Irish driver licensing law operates within a framework of EU law. Driver licensing laws are intended to ensure drivers on our roads meet high safety standards. Testing standards are set at EU level. Ireland may make bilateral agreements on licence exchange with non-EU jurisdictions. This is not a straightforward matter. Reaching them is not a matter of political will and the core...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Haulage Industry (11 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 to 176, inclusive, together. A tachograph is a device installed in commercial vehicles to record driving time, speed and distance, ensuring compliance with EU regulations on drivers' hours and designed to improve road safety, ensure good working conditions for drivers and support a level playing field in the road transport sector. The tachograph monitors...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (11 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy may be aware, BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system, providing better bus services across our cities. It is the largest investment in the bus system in the history of the State, and is managed by the National Transport Authority (NTA). New bus services in Dublin are already being delivered as part of BusConnects, with the first six phases of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Dublin Bus (11 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport in Ireland. The property affairs of CIÉ are matters for the CIÉ Board in accordance with the provisions of the Transport Acts 1950 and 1964. Accordingly, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to CIÉ for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (11 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Navigation Orders (11 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 and 181 together. The carriage of munitions of war is prohibited on any civil aircraft in Irish sovereign territory or on any Irish-registered civil aircraft wherever it may be operating, unless an exemption is granted by the Minister for Transport, as stipulated in the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Orders...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Legislative Measures (11 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The regulation of both the recreational and commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS - drones) is provided for under European Union regulations that are directly applicable in Ireland. The primary regulations that govern the use drones are made under Regulation EU 2018/1139 on common rules in the field of civil aviation (known as the Basic Regulation). There are two UAS-specific...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Coast Guard Service (11 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The next contract for the provision of Coast Guard aviation services was awarded to Bristow Ireland Limited, a subsidiary of the multi-national Bristow Group. Arrangements for commencement of the new service are well underway. The transition date for the Sligo base is currently being finalised between the outgoing contractor (CHCI) and Bristow Ireland with arrangements for base handover at an...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (6 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (6 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the EV charging network over the coming years. Having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles. A significant challenge to EV uptake by consumers is perceptions around availability and suitability of charging...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (6 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 to 23, inclusive, and 38 to 41, inclusive, together. Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, This includes measures to address the impact of the recent storm. I have referred the Deputy's questions to the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (6 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the Driver Testing Service including the provision of test centres and their locations. As such, I have referred the Deputy's question to the RSA for direct, detailed reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days. Pending this...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (6 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Network (6 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (6 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to cycling and public transport infrastructure, including the provision of funding to the National Transport Authority (NTA) in support of public bike-sharing schemes in Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford. Matters related to the day-to-day operations, management and expansion of these public bike...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Artificial Intelligence (6 Feb 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: There has been no spend in the past fiscal year on Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems or AI research in my Department. A project is commencing this year with an AI proof of concept for the Coast Guard. Further use cases and additional proof of concepts may be explored in the year ahead but no specific projects have been approved nor budget allocated at this time. My Department has not...