Results 61-80 of 9,710 for speaker:Gerry Horkan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: A reference was made before that may be helpful to the next session we have that the RSA made a commitment that the system would need approximately 170 permanent testers. It is saying that there are currently fewer than 130 permanent testers. Is that correct and is it working towards the figure of 170 or have it decided that 150 is a more realistic figure?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: That is not sustainable from the perspective of a work life balance for people----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: -----and working time directives and everything else. It is not sustainable to have people on permanent overtime.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Mr. Walsh is telling us that the authority is on track to hire 40 permanent testers or thereabouts. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: That is useful information for us to have. Fórsa will have its own opening statement and it will mention issues we want to raise. Rather than us meeting with Fórsa and having to come back to you again, it is useful to know. The RSA anticipates having a permanent workforce of about 170. It would not be 130 permanent staff and then a rolling 40 temporary staff. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: The intention is to have a permanent staff complement based on the fact that the population is increasing and more drivers are coming into the system. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: What is the situation regarding the exchange of driver's licences between countries such as Kenya and Moldova and various other countries? Has any progress been made with Moldova or other countries?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Does this mean that people with current Moldovan licences will be able to get Irish licences?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Without having to do a test or anything like that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Exactly, lorry, truck and bus drivers are required. I was talking to the former Kenyan ambassador to Ireland and he mentioned that they drive on the same side of the road as us. He made the point that Kenya was quite a sophisticated country with lots of drivers and there may be opportunities here for them. Perhaps the RSA should consider talking to Kenya at some point in the future.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: This is probably because they drive on the same side of the road as we do here and they are English speaking and so on. I thank Mr. Walsh for that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I would love to give the Deputy more time. I can give extra time at the end.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: It is a very good point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I thank Deputy Matthews. I would love to have given him more time but we are finishing at 3.30 p.m. I have just seen that a motorcyclist died this morning and another cyclist died in Dún Laoghaire at a junction I have cycled through many times and with which I am very familiar. I want to pass on my condolences and those of everyone on the committee to the families and friends of those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Does Mr. Rowland wish to come in?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Okay. I thank Mr. Waide, chief executive, and his colleagues, Ms Kelly, Ms O'Connor, Mr. Walsh and Mr. Rowland, for all they are doing and for coming here today to share with us their thoughts on road safety and other aspects within their remit. I will suspend the meeting while we bring the representatives from Fórsa into the room.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: The purpose of this section of the meeting is to meet representatives of Fórsa to discuss issues affecting driver testers. On behalf of the committee, I am pleased to welcome Mr. Ruairí Creaney from Fórsa. I will read a note on privilege. Witnesses are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: We have an update on that, but I will come in afterwards.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I thank Mr. Creaney. We received Fórsa's opening statement yesterday. We had the RSA in for the last two hours and towards the end of that session I teased out a couple of the points, advocated for by Fórsa, with the RSA. Am I right that Deputy Smith is under a time pressure and must be somewhere at 4 p.m.?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I will be very brief and then I will let the Deputy comment. First, I will clarify a couple of points that I asked the RSA delegation. In the RSA's background information that accompanied its opening statement, it referred to the fact that the waiting time was 15 weeks and, as of this morning, the waiting time is 14.9 weeks. I must rely on the information the RSA has given me. The waiting...