Results 1,761-1,780 of 28,190 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Bus Services (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: There is still work to be done. We are adding new routes. As everyone knows, in all sectors, but particularly around drivers and mechanics, there have been shortages of workers because it is a very competitive environment. We have commenced further recruitment across all our transport operators. We started the review in spring. Two of the main reasons for buses not showing up are,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Bus Services (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The transparency around this is there. The operators have to report on service level agreements. When specific issues arise, a lot of the time I see that people will tweet the NTA on X, send emails or whatever. I get text messages regularly, including from my daughter if a bus does not show up when she is travelling to DCU, so I know from my family that this happens from time to time....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Air Navigation Orders (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I am aware of the regulations and the legislation. The Chicago convention of 1944 is the main international treaty that governs the operation of international civil aviation. Article 35 of that convention provides that no civil aircraft may carry munitions of war in the sovereign territory of a state without that state's permission. That provision is implemented in Irish law in the Air...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I agree on that point. An Garda Síochána is doing a good job already. The Deputy will be aware of Operation Saul. That is under way. To take the Dublin metropolitan region, the area in which we have the best data in this regard, as an example, there are gardaí delivering both overt and covert policing on bus, Luas, DART and other train services. In 2024, the operation...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: We have a public transport safety working group on which unions, workers and operators are represented. I have met these representatives. We will be discussing this in more detail. I assure the Deputy that, when the proposals in this regard become clear, I will be seeking their input. I do not have an exact timeframe for the Deputy. Suffice it to say that this is an important...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Taoiseach is not here.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Thanks.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Action Plan (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question. I welcome the publication of the Climate Change Advisory Council's annual sectoral review of the transport sector. I recently met with the council and, separately, with its chair, Marie Donnelly. We had a very constructive discussion. My Department and I will be reviewing this report and its recommendations. I certainly will take them into account as...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Action Plan (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I said last week that I am reviewing the EV grants. We have made significant progress. The Deputy referred to the reduction in growth in that sector last year but he did not mention that quarter 1 of this year saw a significant rebound in EV sales and registrations. Today, I brought to Government a policy on renewable fuels for transport, which sets out the ambition in this regard. It...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Action Plan (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: We are trying to cover a lot in a short time. We will have a chance to go through a lot of these points in more detail at the transport committee, which is meeting tomorrow, and at the environment committee. Regarding EV charging, under the motorway infrastructure scheme, 131 additional high-powered charging points across 17 different locations on the motorway network will be delivered...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question on what is a real and important issue for public transport users. We debated it in some detail yesterday. Particularly among those who do not use public transport often, they can have a certain perception of the level of safety on it. To the Deputy's specific question, antisocial behaviour is a broad societal issue to which public transport is not...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Thank you, Deputy Byrne, for your question. At the outset, it is important to distinguish between publicly subvented services, which operate under contract with the National Transport Authority, and commercial services , which are operated under licence from the NTA and do not receive State subvention. The latter are primarily run by private operators; however, Bus Éireann also operates...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy may be aware, the Preliminary Business Case for the DART+ Programme was approved by the Government at Decision Gate 1 of the Public Spending Code in December 2021. This decision permitted the purchase of new DART trains from Alstom, comprising 65 battery-electric and 30 electric carriages. Battery-electric trains from this first fleet order started arriving into Ireland in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, my role involves setting public transport policy and overseeing overall funding. However, I am not involved in day-to-day operations. The statutory responsibility for delivering and managing public transport services, including the publication and maintenance of network maps, rests with the National Transport Authority (NTA). I have been informed by the NTA that...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including, in consultation with Iarnród Éireann, the Oranmore Station Redevelopment and Track Works. The recent planning approval granted...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Phase 3 of the ZEVI-TII EV Recharging Infrastructure LDV National Road Grant Scheme, which was launched February this year, follows on from Phase 1 which supports high-power charging on motorways, and Phase 2 which focuses on national single carriageway roads. This third scheme will focus on approximately 3,000km of the remaining primary and secondary roads on the National Road Network...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Greenways Provision (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to Greenways. There has a significant amount of investment for Greenway schemes in County Kerry with €8,250,000 allocated in 2025. In line with Section 32 (2) of the Roads Act 1993, the planning, design, and construction of individual Greenways is a matter for Transport...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (24 Jun 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 planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Policy (24 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy may be aware, the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS) was developed by the National Transport Authority (NTA) in collaboration with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), Cork City Council and Cork County Council. The strategy sets out a framework for the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure and services in the Cork Metropolitan Area up to 2040. A...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (24 Jun 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 planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned....