Results 1,941-1,960 of 9,563 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Environmental Policy (29 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: I reiterate that while we support the ambition, we are fully committed to ensuring farmers will be key actors in the development and delivery of the wider nature restoration plan. The Deputy is correct that we need to have a partnership approach, with Government working with the farming community and the agricultural sector. If we look across Europe at how certain countries have managed...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Environmental Policy (29 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: I thank Deputy Cowen for raising this important matter. The Government broadly supports the ambition of the nature restoration law, NRL, throughout its development and welcomes the vote to approve the regulation in the European Parliament earlier this week. Throughout the debate on these proposals, a key ambition for the Government has been to ensure that they achieve their key nature...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Projects (29 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: I thank Deputy Stanton for raising this important issue. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this topic with members of the House. I understand that the Deputy’s question is in relation to the provision funding to Cork County Council for emergency repairs on roads and bridges following Storm Babet in October with an emphasis on the east Cork region. As the Deputy said, I was in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Projects (29 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: I absolutely agree with the Deputy. There is a key safety component to this, in addition to the wider issues around the social, economic and community infrastructure. We appreciate the Deputy raising this, and the Government is fully committed to restoring our road networks after the impact of this storm. The vast interconnected network is used by cars, buses, trucks, vans and cyclists,...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Offences (29 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: It is already an offence to drive while disqualified, either as a full driving licence holder or as a learner permit holder. Once a driver is disqualified, their licence is no longer valid. The offence for driving without a licence is set out in section 38 of the Road Traffic Act 1961. An individual driving without a driving licence may be fined up to €5000, or be imprisoned for up...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tax Collection (29 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: There are no plans currently to amend or review motor tax legislation to provide for pro-rata rates for half-yearly and quarterly motor tax. Any such change would be a Budgetary matter for the Minister for Finance. The rates applicable to the half-yearly and quarterly options as set out in law are 55.5% and 28.25% of the annual charge, respectively. This means those who opt to pay motor...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: State Properties (29 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: AirNav Ireland are the State agency responsible for managing air traffic in Irish airspace. Having consulted with them, they have informed me that while they would not have data relating to the altitude of a flight such as that mentioned in the Deputy's question, they may be able to retrieve data related to the flight path/trajectory of the aircraft from Eurocontrol, the Network Manager for...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (28 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: To receive an Irish manual transmission licence, an applicant for a driving licence exchange must be able to prove that they passed their driving test in a manual transmission vehicle . If they cannot do so, their Irish driving licence will be issued for driving automatic transmission vehicles only. The National Driver Licence Service is provided by the Road Safety Authority. Because of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (28 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. I have therefore referred the Deputy's question to the RSA for direct, detailed response in relation to the specific case raised. With regard to compensation for cancelled tests more generally, I have been advised that there is a process in place...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Accidents (28 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: The Road Safety Authority produces official statistics to inform road safety policy and evidence-based interventions. The Authority relies upon collision data collected by An Garda Síochána (AGS) for this purpose. Similarly, Transport Infrastructure Ireland makes use of data, as reported by AGS, to provide evidence for locations within the network to target and prioritise road...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2024: Committee Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: I thank the committee for facilitating the early hearing of Committee Stage of the Road Traffic Bill 2024. This Bill is an essential part of our response to the disturbing upward trend in road deaths and it is a Bill I would like to see passed as soon as possible. I know the committee is familiar with the situation on our roads. Up to today, there have been 36 deaths on Irish roads in...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2024: Committee Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: I move amendment No. 1: In page 7, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: "Additional amendment of section 2 of Act of 2002 4. (1) Section 2 of the Act of 2002 is amended— (a) in subsection (8), by the substitution of "Subject to subsection (8A), where," for "Where,", and (b) by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (8): "(8A) Penalty points in...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2024: Committee Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: I thank Deputy Martin Kenny for his proposals. We all agree we need to reduce deaths on our roads and it is fair to say there are no ideological differences in that regard but there are different views as to what is practical and effective. Speed limits are reviewed from time to time for appropriateness as circumstances change. However, writing into law that there has to be a review within...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2024: Committee Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: One thing we announced towards the end last year, and which TII is progressing, is a specific road safety intervention fund for, say, specific junctions or identified areas with specific road safety concerns. A TII team is actively working on that fund. There is a specific fund to support road safety interventions. I know that is a concern in certain communities where, as the Deputy said,...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2024: Committee Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: We do, regularly.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2024: Committee Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: There is actually a programme. I will ask the officials here to circulate details of this to the committee. There is a programme specifically on road safety interventions. Some of that is based on the collision data or other concerns that are flagged to them. A team of engineers is working on that and we will provide the committee with further information. I agree that it is another...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2024: Committee Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: Deputy Kenny raised the issue of people driving in excess of the speed limit. If we take a local rural road that has speed limit currently of 80 km/h and there is a pedestrian or cyclist on that particular road, even if a driver is within the speed limit it is completely inappropriate for that road as it is currently engineered. This is where a lot of the issues and the deaths are...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2024: Committee Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy for tabling the amendment. We are talking about people who drive or attempt to drive when they are knowingly medically unfit to drive. This is a serious matter and, unlike most penalty point offences, is not a fixed-charge offence. Incidentally, this provision is included under section 48 of the 1961 Act. The reference to the 2010 Act in the Deputy's amendment relates...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2024: Committee Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Jack Chambers: What we have tried to do in this context is ensure the offence be something that goes directly to court. We are reforming the penalty points system through the other amendments I referenced, but the proposal as the Deputy outlined it would defeat the original Schedule. Obviously, that would not work. That is the position.